Taoiseach denies Cabinet split on property tax

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has denied that the Cabinet is split on the property tax.

He told the Dáil today that there was no basis for the "division'' among ministers, as claimed by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin.

He added that the tax was an alternative to increased income taxes and the details involved were still being worked out by the Government.

“The law says that the elected representatives of the people, whatever the shade of opinion on the council, are entitled to reduce the property charges by 15 per cent if they so wish,’’ he added.

“It is a matter for themselves to make that decision.’’

Mr Kenny said the Government had already decided that 80 per cent of the charges collected would be kept in each local authority area.

Mr Martin said media reports had said there was a significant split in the Cabinet on the issue, with Fine Gael wanting to charge local authorities more.

Services devolved from central government would have to be paid for, he added.

Mr Kenny said he was sorry to see Mr Martin acting on “the absolute gospel belief of what you read in the papers’’.

Earlier, Mr Martin asked the Taoiseach to confirm that Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn had resigned from the Cabinet.

Mr Kenny said Mr Quinn, who at the time was announcing his resignation to journalists at press briefing on the Dail plinth, should be given the courtesy to make a statement.

Mr Martin said the primacy of parliament was important.