Fianna Fáil is calling once again for the revaluation of properties to be suspended until at least 2020.

The party also hit out at the Government for continuing to ignore the property tax regime.

Spokesperson on Environment and Local Government Barry Cowen TD said many families will face "crippling" tax increases over the next couple of years.

Deputy Cowen said: "Media reports demonstrate that awareness of this problem is growing across the country and people are beginning to realise that they could be facing crippling property tax increases from next year if their area happens to have seen any improvement in property prices. The design of the property tax regime has been flawed from day one. The link to property prices makes little sense and it takes absolutely no account of people's ability to pay."

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Deputy Cowen went on to highlight how Fianna Fáil has put forward proposals to assist homeowners and address the flaws associated with the LPT.

He continued: "In April of this year Fianna Fáil published a detailed review of the LPT. In that review we spelled out the problems with the Government's model and spelled out an immediate and radical overhaul. Just last week Fianna Fáil introduced legislation in the Dáil to begin this process of overhauling the LPT.

"Our proposals will result in the planned revaluation of the amount of tax to be paid being deferred from next year as households simply cannot absorb any further increases. We are also proposing that the existing property tax bands should continue to apply until at least 2020."

(CD/MH)