Dublin city councillors have been urged to increase the local property tax by 15 per cent, in order to bring in €24 million euro in additional funds.
The local authority has warned it's facing a deficit of €39 million next year because of the pandemic.
The council says it's lost out on revenue from the likes of planning fees, parking charges and commercial and housing rents, estimated to be worth around €25 million.
Pandemic costs
The local authority has spent €41 million on pandemic related costs including Personal Protective Equipment and IT with more staff working from home.
Spending has also increased for Dublin Fire Brigade and homeless services.
Councillors have in recent years voted to reduce the tax by 15 per cent.
New proposed charge
Almost 80 per cent of residential properties in Dublin city are valued for LPT purposes at €300,000 or less. The additional charge from a 15 per cent increase about the basic rate would work out at most €148.50 per year or €2.86 a week.
Sinn Féin councillor and chair of the council's Finance committee, Seamas McGrattan, says he won't be supporting an increase in the charge;
"We don't think it's acceptable that we're asking householders already struggling, many of them have been out of work, we're asking them to foot the bill when it should be central government."
