The Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin has made dozens of submissions to the city council seeking to delist as many as 32 churches and parish centres from a new tax. The tax is intended to free unused land for housing purposes, but many of the parish properties listed for the tax are being fully used.
Last year the archdiocese sought the rezoning of more than 30 churches in the city and their surrounding lands so they could be used for housing, but Dublin City Council, chief executive, Owen Keegan opposed the rezonings.
The properties on the council’s list include a large number of chapels in the city and suburbs such as the Church of St John the Baptist on Clontarf Road, the Church of St Agnes in Crumlin and Our Lady Queen of Peace on Merrion Road in Dublin 4.
