Concern has been expressed that priests are being unfairly targeted in a new tax that forces them to pay out on their retirement home. The Local Government Charges Act (2009) recently passed by the Oireachtas imposes an annual €200 levy on every house in the country that is not occupied by its owner on March 31 every year.
This will affect many priests nearing retirement, who are currently living in Church property but may have purchased a home for their retirement.
Fine Gael TD for Donegal North East Joe McHugh, who first raised the matter with the Taoiseach last week after he was contacted by concerned priests, told The Irish Catholic: ''Priests living in parochial houses are affected unfairly by this tax, because it applies to private houses bought by priests in anticipation of retirement.
''The priest's vocational duties demand that he live in the parochial house that is owned by his employers (parish and diocese). But, as with every profession and career, priests must plan for retirement, when residence in the parochial house will no longer be an option.''
''In anticipation of retirement, priests in this country buy their own homes, even though they live in parochial houses while they continue to work.
''The law must change to make allowances for this. Priests should not be liable to this charge on their private residences, because their vocation demands that they live in parochial houses,'' Deputy McHugh told The Irish Catholic.
Mr McHugh also warned that the legislation ''contains many other anomalies''.
''It imposes taxes on the ancestral homes of many members of the Irish diaspora (including missionary priests).
''Many of Ireland's emigrants maintain their parents' homes, and now the Government is imposing a property tax on these ancestral residences.
''The legislation must be scrapped and replaced with an amended Bill,'' he said.
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