Madam, – Recently my county council published a report which stated that at the end of 2008 there was €88.6 million of uncollected development levies due to the council, of which the auditor’s report said €64.2 million was “unrealisable”.
Failure to pay levies on development carried out is a criminal offence. I do not know whether it is an offence not to collect it. Nevertheless, this is tantamount to yet another subsidy by citizens of developers, equivalent to nearly €1,500 per household in Co Kildare. If this level of uncollected levies exists in the country at large, the amount owing by, and irregular subsidies to, developers at end-2008 would amount to over €2 billion.
Meanwhile, in the Dáil there is wind of a €100 property tax per household planned for the budget. And the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, who has oversight over the country’s councils, is trying to put an incinerator out in his own backyard while letting the councils do as they will. – Yours, etc,