asked the Minister for Local Government the action he intends taking in relation to the serious burden of rates on householders throughout the country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Householders' Rates.
37.
In their 14-point plan announced before the recent general election the Government indicated their intention to remove health charges and local authority housing subsidies from the rates over a period of four years. The Government have since announced their decision that for the local financial year 1973-74 local authorities need levy rates for health and local authority housing services equivalent to 75 per cent of the rates levied for these services in 1972-73. The immediate effect of this decision is to transfer from local rates to central Government taxation a burden in the sum of £10.8 million which represents 25 per cent of the rates provision in 1972-73 for these services, and in addition the full increase in costs for these services arising in the current and future financial years. One result of this is that instead of being faced with enormously increased rates in the present financial year, ratepayers in most areas of the country will have less rates to pay than in 1972-73 and in many instances the reductions will be substantial.
I believe the Government's rates scheme is a sick joke and a total fraud.
The Deputy must ask a question.
Would the Minister not agree that he should abolish this penal tax altogether? In how many cases was there, in fact, a rates reduction? In how many counties? Where will the Government get the £10.8 million?
If the Deputy is anxious to know that, I am sure he will tell me where his party would get all the money that would be required to abolish the rates completely.
The Government should stand over their own plan.
We are standing over our 14-point programme.
I am asking the Minister a reasonable question: where will they get the £10.8 million?
On 16th of this month, if the Deputy has time to attend the House he will get the reply to that.
The Deputy is the best attender in the House.
Would the Minister say whether the major portion of the cost to the Exchequer involved in this will be spent in relieving rates on dwelling houses or on other property?
The Deputy is so well aware of that that, in fact, his party were attempting to do something like what we are doing during the general election but they thought of it too late. The people who will be relieved in the main are the owners of dwelling houses.
Are we to take it, then, that the Minister is saying that the bulk of the money involved will be spent in relief of rates on dwelling houses? Is that what the Minister is saying?
That is what I said.
Does the Minister not know that that is not true?
I made a statement and I expect Deputy Colley to accept that statement.
I accept that the Minister is mistaken.
The insinuation that the Minister was telling an untruth must be withdrawn.
I am saying the statement made by the Minister is untrue and I accept that he is making it under a misapprehension or by mistake.