A Clare builder has described the concrete levy as just a backdoor tax for ordinary people.
It’s after the Finance Minister confirmed the levy, which was introduced in the Budget, is to be cut from 10 percent to 5 percent, with its introduction delayed.
The government yesterday made a u-turn on its initial announcement on the concrete levy.
Originally announced in the Budget, the rate will now be reduced from 10 per cent to five.
It will only apply to concrete pouring and concrete blocks and will come into effect in September of next year.
It’s also expected to last a number of years and a sunset clause will not be included.
The Finance Minister has said the levy represents the ‘principle of finding new ways to generate revenue’ to pay for the MICA and Pyrite redress scheme.
The construction industry has strongly opposed a concrete levy due to the costs it would add to building a home.
Ciarán Breen, of Ciarán Breen Construction in Ennis believes it’s a backdoor tax on ordinary people, which will turn the building sector into a “tax collector for the Government”.
East Clare Councillor Joe Cooney put forward a motion at the last meeting of Clare County Council, asking the local authority to call for the levy to be scrapped.
The Fine Gael Councillor says it’s important that people affected by Pyrite or MICA are compensated, but he insists that putting the tax burden on ordinary people is not the answer.
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Clare’s Fianna Fail TD says his concerns ‘haven’t fully gone away’ either.
Meelick-based Cathal Crowe was among a number of Government backbenchers who have previously aired concerns about the levy, and he believes there’s more work to be done.
