SINN FÉIN’S BILL to repeal the local property tax has been rejected in the Dáil this evening.

The Finance (Local Property Tax Repeal) Bill received 49 votes in favour and 81 votes against.

Speaking during the Dáil debate tonight on the bill, the party’s spokesperson on environment, community and local government, Brian Stanley TD described the local property tax as “unjust” and “unfair”, adding that Sinn Féin was introducing the bill “in an attempt to encourage government TDs to do the right thing and to support the repeal of the family home tax.”

Stanley said: “If we fail in our endeavours tonight then we will continue to campaign against it at every opportunity. In fact we have promised that if elected to government Sinn Féin will repeal this tax.”

Speaking ahead of the vote tonight, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams TD said the bill was “about lifting the burden of this unfair family home tax off families and households and replacing it with alternative measures to raise taxes, including a wealth tax.”

“It is about undoing one of many bad policy decisions taken by Fine Gael and Labour in the last two years. Fine Gael and Labour were elected to undo the damage of Fianna Fáil but have chosen instead to implement Fianna Fáil policies,” he added.

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