Sinn Féin representative from Kildare calls for Local Property Tax system to be scrapped

A representative for Sinn Féin who is based in County Kildare has called for the Local Property Tax (LPT) system to be scrapped.

Explaining his views, Newbridge resident James Stokes told the Leinster Leader: "Homeowners across Newbridge and Kildare [town] are facing massive hikes in their LPT for 2026, at a time when people simply can’t take any more pressure.

"Families are now being asked to revalue their homes before November 1 [2025], and in many cases this means big jumps in what they owe."

Mr Stokes continued: "One homeowner I spoke to told me their LPT will rise from €225 to €333 — a 48 per cent increase — before even factoring in the extra 10 per cent hike voted through by Kildare County Council.

"That’s a serious blow for ordinary working people who are already doing everything they can just to stay afloat; workers have never worked so hard and yet struggled so much.

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"These increases come during a cost-of-living crisis when families are already stretched to the limit with rising mortgage repayments, energy costs, and grocery bills.

"Instead of easing the pressure, this decision piles on even more hardship."

He concluded: "The LPT system is unfair and outdated; it needs to go. Public services should be funded through a fair and progressive national taxation system — one that’s based on a person’s ability to pay, not the roof over their head."

The Leinster Leader has asked Kildare County Council for comment on Mr Stokes' views.

Sinn Féin representative James Stokes. File photograph

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