Sir, – I write as one of your longest readers: back in the 1940s my parents’ copy of The Irish Times was one of about six that came into our remote Co Wexford village and I have been a “fan” ever since.
I write on a subject that will of interest to many of your current readers, the local property tax (LPT). It was the subject of your Editorial on November 27th, headed “Property tax”, which I found to be unusual in that it was vague, unspecific and not at all clear. It ended with a statement that “it [the LPT] is not working as intended”. What, precisely, does that mean? Are you for or against the LPT? I, for one, am not sure. I feel the LPT to be the most iniquitous tax ever: it takes no account of the ability of the people that incur it to pay it; a basic requirement of all taxes.
In my case, probably typical of many, I happen to live alone in a large house on the Swords Road near Malahide. It was ideal when I had a family and worked at Dublin Airport. Times have changed, I recently had my 90th birthday, but my home has such memories and furniture, paintings, photographs etc that mean so much to an "old codger" like me that I simply could not move. Why should I? It is mine. I just want to be left alone at home where I have lived so long. But not to be taxed just for this. Is that unreasonable?
There must be many like me with this problem. Is there any organisation that would help us? Your editorial suggests that a decision to reform LPT charges has been postponed until November 2020. That will probably be too late for me. – Yours, etc,
WILLIAM MURPHY,
Malahide, Co Dublin.