asked the Minister for Local Government if he will introduce a system whereby rates may be paid to a local authority weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Payment of Rates by Instalments.
36.
Although the existing law provides that rates are collectable in two moieties, there are provisions in the Public Bodies Orders enabling rates to be collected by instalments. I do not feel that any amendment of the law is called for.
I wonder would the Minister be good enough to advise local authorities of this regulation which he has just given in the answer to this question?
Article 73 of the Public Bodies Order, 1946, says:—
"Whenever a rate collector is paid any sum on account, he shall forthwith give a receipt from the interim receipt book to the person making the payment."
That was put into this Public Bodies Order, in order, more or less, to legalise an abuse of law which did not permit the taking of instalments by rate collectors.
I think the people generally are not aware of the fact that they may pay their rates in instalments. The Minister must also be aware that the bulk of them believe that they must pay their rates in either one or two sums and this, of course, means a very severe hardship on people of modest means, wage earning and salaried classes. If he could give publicity to the regulation or the Order which he has just read out, the people would be in a better position to pay the rates during the year.
It is not necessary to make it known to all and sundry that this is a practice which has the blessing of all concerned and that they must be given the facility. As I said in the first part of my answer, the position is that the rates are collectable in two moieties, but in addition and over and above that, if the rate collector is reasonable—which most of those people must be, because of the type of their employment—they may collect the rates by instalments.
Would the Minister take steps to make some of those unreasonable rate collectors reasonable and get them to accept the rates in instalments?
I am not aware that there are such people.
The Minister may ask anyone.
What about the poundage on the overdraft?
Does the Minister indicate that, if a ratepayer tenders an amount short of a single moiety, or part of a moiety, to a rate collector, the rate collector must accept it?
No; I did not say any such thing.
It is left to the discretion of the rate collector?
Yes, that is the way it would appear. If the rate collector wants to get his rates and feels he can get them by taking instalments rather than not at all, obviously he would be most unreasonable and very foolish not to accept them in that way. The Public Bodies Order, Article 73, empowers him to give receipts for part payment of rates. It is really a facility.
I want to put this last question. Can he be compelled—to use a strong word—by either the Minister or the local authority to accept instalments?
No. Furthermore, not only can he not be compelled to facilitate in this way, if he is not that way inclined, but he can still prosecute and get the rates in the two moieties as laid down in the law.