Kerry county councillors voted yesterday to reduce a proposed development levy on new houses by almost half.
The levy, to be ring-fenced for amenity purposes, is on new houses over 130 sq metres and excludes social housing.
An initial proposal for a levy of €600-€800 per new house was reduced to €300 and €450 per house, depending on whether the site is provided with water and sewerage systems. The proposal to reduce the levy came from Fianna Fáil councillors.
County manager Martin Riordan announced that when the levy is adopted €400,000 will be immediately made available for a range of projects from beach walks to playgrounds.
IFA and the ICMSA members protested at the meeting against the introduction of any levy on new rural householders. It would deter people building in the countryside, according to IFA co-chairman John Stack.
However, strategic policy committee chairman Cllr Brendan Cronin (Ind) said neither farming organisation had made any submission during the draft display period, despite being requested to do so.
"I have no difficulty in an individual building 2,000 sq metres of a house costing a quarter of a million euro paying an amenity levy - what is being proposed here wouldn't buy the first round of drinks at the house warming party," Mr Cronin, a farmer, said.
It was difficult for Fianna Fáil to sanction levies, Paul O'Donoghue (FF) said. However, every town, village and townland in the county was having social problems. "This council has a duty to young people to provide amenities."
The levies were another nail in the coffin of rural Ireland and on people who were already paying for everything themselves, and they were being introduced "at a time when farms will only be playgrounds", Danny Healy-Rae said.
Some 17 councillors voted for the levy, with nine against.