asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the amount of the reduction made in the valuation of the Great Southern Railways Company, Limited, for rating purposes, and how same has been apportioned on the various counties through which their system runs; further, if he is aware that the new valuation affects County Westmeath more than any county in the Saorstát, and whether any steps are being taken by the Government to relieve the ratepayers from this new burden of taxation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Effect of Lower Railway Valuation (Westmeath).
The reduction made on first appeal in the valuation of the Great Southern Railways undertaking amounts to £56,456, and a table showing the apportionment of the reduction made in each county will be printed in the Parliamentary Debates.
The County Westmeath has not been exceptionally treated
The facts are that on first appeal in 1928, by agreement arrived at between representatives of the Railway Companies, the Valuation Department of the Saorstát and the Valuation Department of Northern Ireland (in cases of railways operating in both States), a uniform proportionate reduction was made in the valuations of the Great Southern Railways and the Great Northern Railway Company in the Irish Free State as they appeared in the year 1923.
Before making this reduction all dwelling-houses, hotels, refreshment rooms and workshops were eliminated, as well as all portions of railway entered at the agricultural value.
The remaining valuations were reduced by a uniform percentage of the 1923 figure. Consequently the valuations as fixed in the County Westmeath are relative proportionately to the 1923 valuation with those in other counties.
The apparent discrepancy in the result is due to the fact that at the revision of 1926 the Midland Great Western section received a less abatement in valuation than was given to the other sections of the Great Southern Railways in 1924, and was, therefore, liable to a greater reduction now in order to have the valuations uniform over the whole system.
Following is the Table referred to:—
GREAT SOUTHERN RAILWAYS.
STATEMENT shewing Reduction in Valuation made on First Appeal, 1928, as apportioned amongst the Counties through which their System runs.
|
County. |
Before Appeal. |
After Appeal. |
Reduction. |
||||||
|
£ |
s. |
d. |
£ |
s. |
d. |
£ |
s. |
d. |
|
|
Co. Carlow |
3,942 |
2 |
0 |
3,371 |
7 |
0 |
570 |
15 |
0 |
|
Co. Cavan |
1,170 |
16 |
0 |
872 |
19 |
0 |
297 |
17 |
0 |
|
Co. Clare |
2,251 |
9 |
0 |
1,914 |
9 |
0 |
337 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cork Co. Borough |
6,824 |
0 |
0 |
4,611 |
10 |
0 |
2,212 |
10 |
0 |
|
Co. Cork |
35,320 |
10 |
0 |
29,697 |
6 |
0 |
5,623 |
4 |
0 |
|
Dublin Co. Borough |
23,625 |
16 |
0 |
17,081 |
5 |
0 |
6,544 |
11 |
0 |
|
Co. Dublin |
20,316 |
1 |
0 |
15,391 |
5 |
0 |
4,924 |
16 |
0 |
|
Co. Galway |
8,133 |
6 |
0 |
6,190 |
19 |
0 |
1,942 |
7 |
0 |
|
Co. Kerry |
14,885 |
7 |
0 |
12,501 |
7 |
0 |
2,384 |
0 |
0 |
|
Co. Kildare |
24,032 |
19 |
0 |
19,079 |
18 |
0 |
4,953 |
1 |
0 |
|
Co. Kilkenny |
6,164 |
13 |
0 |
5,350 |
16 |
0 |
813 |
17 |
0 |
|
Co. Laoighis |
11,061 |
1 |
0 |
9,623 |
6 |
0 |
1,437 |
15 |
0 |
|
Co. Leitrim |
837 |
19 |
0 |
630 |
17 |
0 |
207 |
2 |
0 |
|
Limerick Co. Borough |
2,713 |
10 |
0 |
1,836 |
10 |
0 |
877 |
0 |
0 |
|
Co. Limerick |
9,163 |
15 |
0 |
7,774 |
5 |
0 |
1,389 |
10 |
0 |
|
Co. Longford |
2,397 |
16 |
0 |
1,568 |
0 |
0 |
829 |
16 |
0 |
|
Co. Mayo |
5,282 |
12 |
0 |
3,649 |
18 |
0 |
1,632 |
14 |
0 |
|
Co. Meath |
6,758 |
8 |
0 |
4,318 |
0 |
0 |
2,440 |
8 |
0 |
|
Co. Offaly |
4,788 |
7 |
0 |
4,007 |
9 |
0 |
780 |
18 |
0 |
|
Co. Roscommon |
5,854 |
12 |
0 |
4,055 |
5 |
0 |
1,799 |
7 |
0 |
|
Co. Sligo |
3,469 |
17 |
0 |
2,393 |
10 |
0 |
1,076 |
7 |
0 |
|
Co. Tipperary |
19,126 |
14 |
0 |
16,564 |
9 |
0 |
2,562 |
5 |
0 |
|
Waterford Co. Borough |
2,541 |
10 |
0 |
1,617 |
10 |
0 |
924 |
0 |
0 |
|
Co. Waterford |
925 |
8 |
0 |
864 |
8 |
0 |
61 |
0 |
0 |
|
Co. Westmeath |
18,557 |
5 |
0 |
12,314 |
19 |
0 |
6,242 |
6 |
0 |
|
Co. Wexford |
9,136 |
2 |
0 |
7,420 |
7 |
0 |
1,715 |
15 |
0 |
|
Co. Wicklow |
9,696 |
0 |
0 |
7,820 |
0 |
0 |
1,876 |
0 |
0 |
|
TOTALS |
258,977 |
15 |
0 |
202,521 |
14 |
0 |
56,456 |
1 |
0 |
Does the Minister think it equitable to give preferential treatment to the railway companies over small farmers?
As a matter of fact it is the opposite to preferential treatment.