I utterly reject proposals by the controlling group of Fianna Fáil, the Green Party, and the Independents on Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to increase business rates in this week’s Council budget vote. This is a move that will hurt jobs and investment in our local communities. I am encouraging all Fine Gael Councillors to vote against this proposal.
Small business are at the heart of all our communities and provide thousands of jobs. But this week, Fianna Fáil, the Green Party, the Independent Alliance and Labour will all be supporting a 4% increase in commercial rates for all businesses in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County. I strongly oppose this move and the opposition Fine Gael group in the Council will be voting against it.
When Fine Gael was in the controlling group on Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council we managed to reduce rates by 5.5% in 10 years. This benefited local businesses, allowing them to invest locally and recruit more staff. Now much of this progress will be eliminated by Fianna Fáil and the Green Party. Is this what we can expect from Fianna Fáil leadership or any future Fianna Fáil government?
I stand with small businesses in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown. The Council budget should instead look at better managing taxpayers’ money more efficiently instead of hurting small businesses and by extension all of our local communities.