Sir, – Our policymakers seem very reluctant to restrict or tax one-off housing for fear of being labelled anti-rural; meanwhile there is near silence from those who might advocate for urban dwellers or at least better policy choices.
As a result, more sustainable urban, suburban and rural town housing, which cost more to purchase, are illogically hit with a higher LPT charge because it is politically convenient and easy to calculate. So a large, one-off house in rural Ireland ends up with a lower LPT than an apartment in Dublin, and then a portion of the total LPT collected in urban areas, like Dublin, is redistributed to rural areas to cover the costs of servicing, a development approach that with time will only get more expensive, in terms of climate and cost, to meet. Where’s the logic, sustainability or policy signal in that? – Yours, etc,
CLIVE WILLIAMS,
Dublin 2.