‘New land tax will create chaos in towns across State’ says European election hopeful

A EUROPEAN election hopeful has predicted a new residential-zoned land tax will create “chaos” in towns and villages across the south constituency.

Patrick Murphy, from Mizen Peninsula in West Cork, who will fly the flag for Aontu at the June 7 election, believes the new tax will lead to an “unfair and discriminatory two-tier” housing situation.

The annual tax is calculated at three percent of the market value of land within its scope, and came into force in February.

The aim of the measure is to activate land for residential development to increase the number of homes across the State.

But Mr Murphy says it will cause “nothing but grief”, especially for rural farmers, whose land is not suitable for housing development. “I’m not exaggerating when I say that we’ll soon see the day when only the rich will be able to afford homes in the very near future. People, already trapped in a dysfunctional housing crisis, are being further hammered by this unjust tax,” he said.

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Mr Murphy says the imposition of this tax has left people in rural Ireland in “desperate straits”.

“They have no security, they are paying vast amounts of money for accommodation they will never own, they are on a horrible, hopeless treadmill and have been badly let down by this government.

“Children given land to build on are now not being allowed to do so due to planning regulations against once-off houses, he added.