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30th August 2016 • Volume 23, Issue 29 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. K67 P5W4. • Tel: 01 8•400•200 • info@northcountyleader.ie • www.northcountyleader.ie
Pyrite Victims Need A Break!
Local Sinn Féin TD, Louise O’Reilly has called on the By Patrick Finnegan Minister for Finance to intervene in the cases of a number of households who have been told they must now retro- “We have a situation, where Revenue are making these spectively pay local property tax, despite having been in families, who had suffered extreme problems because of the presence of pyrite in their homes, feel like tax receipt of the exemption up until 2016. Speaking to the County Leader, O’Reilly said: “A number cheats, despite having complied with Revenue at the of frustrated households have been in touch with me in time. This is unacceptable,” said O’Reilly. the area over correspondence from Revenue, looking for The County Leader met residents, Brent and Hilary Hearne who live in Tayleur’s the retrospective payment of Point in Rush, an estate that the property tax, despite having was badly affected by pyrite. been in receipt of the exempHilary said, “The only thing I tion up until 2016. These are know for a fact is that someone households who submitted all advised us to register for propthe necessary documents to erty tax by the deadline, which I Revenue at the time, who were did on line. We was given one of aware of the time sensitive the reasons for exemption and nature of the exemption and that was pyrite. I hit the button who were willing to pay once it for ‘exemption’ and as far as I ran out. “They have been was concerned, we were landed with a bill for the past Pictured are Tayleur's Point, Rush residents, Brent exempt from local property tax. three years and have been Hearne and Hilary Hearne outide their home, with We heard no more until the given 22 days days to pay and I local TD, Louise O'Reilly. letters about the property tax think that this is grossly unfair. It’s not their fault that their house has pyrite. They sent in and we got billed for it. Paying property tax for the years all their documentation to Revenue, thinking they were 2012, 2013 and 2014 is a bit of a joke, considering our homes were non-existent as they were down to the exempt from LPT.
New Beginnings In Balbriggan
Pictured at the opening of the new Bremore Educate Together Secondary School on Naul Road in Balbriggan on Monday, 29th August are students, Gordon Tuffour, Molly Knowles Rodino, Jakub Porzega, Laura King McDonnell and Maurice Offor, with school principal, Kathy Jones. Bremore Educate Together Secondary School is the first second level Educate Together School to open in North County Dublin
foundations and the property was worthless. It was impossible to sell your house, and with property tax being based on the value of your home, why would you pay property tax on a house you couldn’t sell,?” she said. The Hearnes were hit on the double, as they missed out on the Government Remediation scheme that was introduced,. Brent said, “We also had to pay about ¤3,000 to have our house tested, and a further €700 to have it re-tested, whereas all the ones being done by the Government don’t have to pay anything. We got no rebate for this, as our house was repaired before the Remediation scheme was introduced and now we have to pay. We’re already out of pocket to the tune of almost €4,000. It’s a double whammy,” he said.
‘Council Must Respect Residents’ Submissions’ The controversial plan to build modular homes close to Pinewood estate in Balbriggan has generated massive interest locally, with over 700 submissions already sent into the County Council. While residents recognise the need for extra housing and have no problem with plans to build 24 rapid build home adjacent to their estate, they have a major problem with access to the proposed development This is the main bone of contention in more than 700 submissions received by the local authority. The County Leader spoke to Pinewood estate Residents Association members, Sheena O’Reilly (secretary), Joe McArdle (chairperson) and Erin Kelly (treasurer), along with Cllr Tony Murphy and all were adamant that a new access point was essential for this project to proceed.
Joe McArdle said, “This will mean far too much traffic on one road that is congested every day. We don’t mind the houses, it’s all about the new link road being used to access the new houses and not to use this estate as a rat run, as they come through Derham Park, Craoibhin Park and up through Pinewood. We have enough on our plate at the moment. The new Haul Road is the answer to the problem, which will provide access to the modular homes,” he said. Cllr Tony Murphy (NP) said that there are some major issues in the Pinewood area. Even in the first proposal to put in a housing development without having a dedicated road into it is problematic. Pinewood has matured nicely as an estate over the years and it needs to stand alone, particularly with the principle that has been
offered from the Department on the modular housing project. “I’m very much on the side of the residents of Pinewood. I think if this housing development has to go ahead, then we need to make sure that it doesn’t impact on the residents in close proximity to Pinewood and we need to make sure that it has a dedicated road into and out of the development,” he concluded.
Contd. on page 8
Pictured are Cllr Tony Murphy, with angry Pinewood estate, Balbriggan residents, Sheena O'Reilly, Erin Kelly and Joe McArdle at the wall in Pinewood estate, which they are adamant must not be knocked down to create an access point for the new modular housing development
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O’Reilly concluded by saying, “These residents didn’t get the benefit of the remediation scheme, or the exemption, and they need to be treated in a fair manner. These people have acted in good faith and need to be listened to. The Minister must now intervene with Revenue to clarify the situation surrounding these households. I have contacted his office and Revenue, looking for a resolution to this issue. If the issue rests with the legislation or its interpretation in terms of its objectives, it is up to the Minister to work with Revenue. These families have suffered enough with their homes, without this additional pressure being brought to bear on them,” fumed O’Reilly.