Local Property Tax helps unlock €43m for Offaly projects

By Rebekah O'Reilly

More than €40 million has been invested in projects across Offaly over the past six years through Local Property Tax (LPT) funding and the additional grants it has helped to secure, councillors have been told.

A report presented at a recent meeting of Offaly County Council has outlined how €5.17 million in LPT funding between 2020 and 2026 has leveraged almost €40 million in additional investment from a range of national and European funding programmes, bringing the total value of projects supported to €43,527,288.

The figures show that LPT funding has been used to unlock major grants for community, regeneration, housing and sporting projects throughout the county.

Edenderry Municipal District accounted for the largest share of investment, with projects totalling €25.66 million.

This included €1.35 million in Local Property Tax funding, which helped secure an additional €24.31 million through schemes including the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD), the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).

In Birr Municipal District, €1.63 million in LPT funding leveraged a further €8.55 million, resulting in total project investment of €10.18 million. Funding was secured through programmes including the DRCD, the RRDF and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

Tullamore Municipal District received a total investment of €6.32 million, made up of €1.63 million in Local Property Tax funding and €4.69 million in additional funding from sources including the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), the DRCD and the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF).

A further €1.37 million was invested in projects supported through Just Transition and Community Match Funding initiatives. This included €566,000 in Local Property Tax funding, which attracted an additional €804,584 from funding streams including the EU Just Transition Fund, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and Sports Capital Funding.

Offaly Local Property Tax (LPT) is based on the market value of a residential property as of November 1, 2025, and applies to properties across the county.

The basic rate is determined by national valuation bands, but Offaly County Council applies a +15% Local Adjustment Factor (an increase) to these rates.

During its monthly meeting, Offaly County Council officials noted that the LPT costs around €1 per week per household.

Welcoming the report, Cllr Eleanor Clendennen said the value of Local Property Tax extended far beyond the initial investment.

“It unlocks funding, not just for the local community, but it attracts people to the area, creating jobs. It makes them better places to live with better facilities,” she said.

Cllr Noel Cribbin said the figures demonstrated the strong return achieved through the tax.

“It’s great news. Not one person could complain about local property tax looking at the return of €43 million,” he said.

Cllr Neil Feighery also praised the impact of the investment.

“What has been achieved is just spectacular,” he said.