Minister Says Property Tax Equalisation Scheme Will Be "balanced"

Minister says property tax equalisation scheme will be "balanced"

The Environment Minister is promising that the property tax system will be 'balanced'. Alan Kelly is to reveal further details about how the tax will work later this afternoon. It is understood it could include a scheme where councils that take in more cash than they need would face a cut in government funding. That money would then be redirected to other areas where the property tax intake is not enough to meet the cost of services. Minister Kelly wouldn't be drawn on the exact details ahead of this afternoon's announcement, but he promised it will be fair. "It is going to be very fair, and all local authorities who don't have the tax base that necessarily places like Dublin, Cork or other urban areas have certainly are going to be protected" he said. "We said all along that local authorities wouldn't be worse off - but we also do have to ensure that where there vast amounts of property tax paid, that there is some net benefit for them". "So it will be balanced" he added.