The General Synod has authorised the Representative Body to pay the Local Property Tax due in respect of residential properties vested in the Representative Body within parishes in the Republic of Ireland. It has also authorised the RB to recover the amounts paid from parishes through the dioceses and to require Select Vestries to provide and certify valuations in respect of properties.

The motion was proposed by Robert Neill who explained that RB had to act as a clearing house as most vestries did not have a PPS number (required for payment of the tax) and it would be unfair for an individual to take responsibility for the tax.

He said all residential property was subject to the tax and there were no charitable exceptions. He said the RB had written to the minister seeking exemption of the Church of Ireland properties from the LPT and would continue to press the matter.

In the meantime the RCB had undertaken to supply the Revenue with the valuations supplied by the parishes, he said.

Keith Dungan (Glendalough) suggested that parish property, because of the constraints placed upon it, may be valued at less than neighbouring properties.

The motion was passed by Synod.