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Updated at 2.05pm
MEMBERS OF THE Defence Forces have been drafted in to assist with flood defence efforts in counties Clare, Limerick, Galway and Athlone town.
Two sections of 15 troops have been deployed to Clonlara, Clare, while two sections of 12 troops are assisting local authorities in Ballinasloe, Galway.
Some 30 troops have been sent to Castleconnell, Limerick, and a platoon of 35 troops is now in Athlone, Westmeath.
Troops also remain on “notice to move” in counties Donegal, Galway, Limerick and Cork.
In Clonlara, which has seen some of the worst flooding, local residents left stranded as a result of impassible roads have been assisted with access to and from their homes by Clare Fire and Rescue Service and Clare Civil Defence, Clare County Council said.
Killaloe District Engineer Hugh McGrath told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that even higher water levels are anticipated in the area over the coming days.
“From listening to various sources looking at this data, we’re preparing for higher levels. I’m not in a position to speak, but given the information from the various different bodies, I don’t think we’ve seen the peak yet,” he said.
Emergency water distribution
The National Emergency Coordination Centre warned yesterday that it expects further flooding this week along the River Shannon.
ESB advised this afternoon that the flow of water down the river through Parteen Weir will remain at 375 cumecs (cubic metres per second) today.
“This level of water flow is likely to lead to associated flooding of roads, land and property in the vicinity of the Shannon downstream of Parteen Weir including the areas of Springfield, Montpellier, Castle Connell, Mountshannon (Annacotty) and the University of Limerick,” the power company said.
The Irish Red Cross began distributing bottled water today at three of the worst-hit towns along the river, Athlone, Portumna and Montpelier in Co Limerick.
Sandbags have been provided to residents in areas most at risk, and pumping operations are also due to get underway in Montpelier.
Meanwhile, Met Éireann has issued two Status Yellow weather warnings for today. A wind warning is in effect for the whole country, while a rainfall warning is in place for Connacht and counties Donegal, Clare and Kerry.
Read: Two weather warnings just kicked in – and forecasters say there’s no end in sight
Watch: Aerial videos show the devastation wrought by Storm Desmond
Abolish the LPT occupied home tax and implement the law taxing over 183,000 vacant homes. https://www.money.co.uk/mortgages/empty-homes
@Sean Byrne: as you have linked to a UK site is the law you refer too applicable to the UK or Ireland?
@D. Memery: Maybe you should actually read the article first? It’s quite interesting in fairness.
@D. Memery: Ireland; There is a Vacancy Tax under the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act, 2015. Under this Act, from 1 January 2017 each local authority is obliged to introduce a vacant site register. With impunity, many councils refuse to comply with this law. As an example, reported in the 2016 census, County Galway had 10’279 vacant properties. The link at the bottom of this page; http://www.galway.ie/en/services/planning/planspolicy/vacantsites/ points to; http://www.galway.ie/en/media/Vacant%20Sites%20Template.docx, which is an empty template document and not a vacant register.
@Lee King Buckett: I did, but the article doesn’t make any mention of a vacant property tax, hence why I asked as a follow on to the link. Did you read the article?
@Sean Byrne: thanks
@D. Memery: Yes I did – it’s a source for the 183,000 vacant properties the OP referred to.
There’s no mention of any tax whatsoever in there nor did the OP mention any law at all so your comment confused me.
@Sean Byrne:
Revenue are guilty of maladministration by their coercing people to pay this despicable tax on their family homes which is contrary to all Canons of Taxation.
Revenue don’t collect taxes on other basic needs like : food, water, medicines, education, healthcare, clothes etc .. so why tax shelter (family homes) … a basic human need, essential to life.
Macron has just removed Tax Habitation on homes in France …
The Irish need to wake up …
https://www.change.org/p/abolish-property-tax-on-family-homes
Time to get rid of this silly recession-era tax. Fine Gael lied back in 2011 before they got into power saying they wouldn’t bring in property tax and as soon as they had a nice juicy five year mandate they brought it in anyway.
The entire ‘local’ thing is just propaganda, money goes to a central pot to pay for Zappone parties and national debt
@Quiet Goer: Most countries have a similar tax. Lived in France for years and paid two different property/local taxes.
@lelookcoco: Most counties provide services for the taxes that are collected. We pay again privately for our services here. You’re comparing apples and oranges.
@lelookcoco: and it covers bins and other services for the property
@Declan Doherty: All taxes pay for services. That’s how state finances work.
@Jason Walsh: Ask our UK neigbours how much they’re paying. Our LPT and bin charges come nowhere near their council tax and they get billed for water too.
@Reg: It’s okay to get billed for water, when there is a supply with clean water you can drink from the tap and accurate waste water treatment.
@Claudia Varell: I’m not against the principle of water charges Claudia, simply pointing out the difference in household charges between the UK and Ireland.
If 70% have yet to file for it, this looks like it could become another Water Tax. I hope it does.
@Zack Twamley: Or the age old habit of leaving things to the last minute. The vast majority already pay their LPT.
@Zack Twamley: If it does it’ll have to be replaced with a different tax
“It is morally wrong, unjust and unfair to tax a persons home” – Enda Kenny, 1994
This tax on family homes should never have been accepted. The only reason FG got away with it was because they got revenue to do their dirty work.
@Declan Doherty: Surely Revenue collecting taxes is their job?
@Declan Doherty: Agree.
—– RURAL HOME OWNERS —–
What Rural Home Owners get for their LPT Property Tax
No Mains Water
No Public Sewage system
No Street Lighting
No Footpaths
No Cycle Lanes
No Buses
No DART
No Luas
No Public Parks
No Subsidised Theatres
https://www.change.org/p/abolish-property-tax-on-family-homes
if You sign the petition an email is sent to Michael Martin …
@Thomas O’ Donnell:
Revenue don’t collect taxes on other basic needs like : food, water, medicines, education, healthcare, clothes etc .. so why tax shelter (family homes) … a basic human need, essential to life. Revenue are guilty of maladministration by their coercing people to pay this despicable tax on their family homes which is contrary to all Canons of Taxation.
Macron has just removed Tax Habitation on homes in France …
The Irish need to wake up …
https://www.change.org/p/abolish-property-tax-on-family-homes
Rang helpline today on 4 occasions told they were busy and ring back latet
The self assessment element of filing is difficult for people.This causes reluctance .
@Leonard O’mahony: yep. My dad is 80 and this is actually worrying him, even with me doing it. He’s convinced that if he doesn’t pay enough his house will be taken. He’s band 5 and he wanted to pay band 6 just to be safe. It’s a horrible tax. It’s practically two weeks off his pension.
@Jason Ebbs: My dad was the same. I had everything filled out he wanted to change it to higher band saying it’s better they owe him than him underpaying.
@Leonard O’mahony: There is a bit of a nuisance factor to it. They should have tied it in with An Post to allow people who don’t have a computer to take away a simple form with a free post envelope to return.
Even if they were worried about doing a bit of work, they could have posted a simple card out to each eircode with a punch hole system and a signature. They could have put the cards through a machine for tallying the bands against the eircodes with the signature checked if someone complains. (and this governmental big data trend is a disgrace, it’ll be a drop of blood for the DNA in twenty years time)
@Jason Ebbs:
Macron has just removed Tax Habitation on homes in France …
The Irish need to wake up …
https://www.change.org/p/abolish-property-tax-on-family-homes
Rang helpline today on 4 occasions told they were busy and ring back later
@Tony Mcgrath: 8 times?
Endentured slave tax to the grave
Why would anyone voluntary register for this ridiculous tax.
@Philip Cullen: https://www.change.org/p/abolish-property-tax-on-family-homes
have your say