Property tax returns to the agenda at crisis budget talks

A PROPERTY tax raising up to €1.1 billion was back on the table as the Cabinet met today to hammer out a €5bn crisis budget package.

A backbench rebellion forced ministers to abandon moves for a return to a household levy last year, but the scale of the fiscal emergency has seen the controversial initiative return to the agenda.

A special Cabinet meeting at Farmleigh is tasked with drawing up plans to cut the hole in national finances by some €4.5bn to €5bn in the December 7 budget.