asked the Minister for Finance if he will state in connection with the valuation of agricultural land (a) the year in which the present system of valuation came into operation, (b) the general basis of valuation, (c) the statutory provisions for revaluations, and (d) the years in which agricultural land was revalued.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Valuation of Agricultural Land.
For valuation purposes all land is treated as agricultural land. The answers to the specific heads of the Deputy's question are as follows:—
(a) There can hardly be said to be a present system of land valuation. The valuation of land was fixed in the years 1852-65 and has remained unchanged ever since—except in the County Boroughs of Dublin and Waterford.
(b) As provided in Section 11 of the Valuation (Ireland) Act, 1852, the general basis of land valuation was its net annual value by reference to a specified scale of agricultural prices.
(c) Section 65 (1) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, contains the only effective statutory provision for the revaluation of land. This provision applies only to county boroughs. While there is a provision for general revaluations in Section 34 of the Valuation (Ireland) Act, 1852, it is ineffective as Section 39 of that Act which provided for the payment of expenses, was repealed in 1874.
(d) Land has not been revalued since 1865 except in 1916 and 1926 in the then County Boroughs of Dublin and Waterford respectively.
Is it correct that Section 34 of the 1852 Act is ineffective?
Yes.