asked the Minister for Local Government why an old age pensioner (name supplied) in County Laois who lives alone was, despite the regulations, compelled to pay rates on his house by Laois County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rates Waiver Schemes.
17.
The administration of a rates waiver scheme is entirely a matter for the local authority. I have no power to intervene in individual applications.
The Minister makes provision for a scheme whereby county managers are allowed to write off rates in the case of old age pensioners living alone with no other income but is it not mandatory that the county manager allows rates remission in that context?
No. The Local Authority Rates Act, 1970, gave local authorities the power to adopt a scheme for rates waiver in the case of persons for whom the payment of rates would cause hardship. Those who are entitled are, those in receipt of home assistance, non-contributory old age pensions, non-contributory widows pensions, blind pensions, disabled persons maintenance allowance and infectious disease maintenance allowance. When county managers devise a scheme they submit it to the Minister for sanction and the administration of such a scheme after that is purely a matter for the county manager. I am sorry but there is nothing I can do.
Does the Minister think, as an expression of opinion, that for a county manager to refuse to waive rates for an old age pensioner living alone is contrary to the spirit or the intent behind the Act?
I am not in a position to give an answer unless the Deputy can give me the conditions of the particular scheme he is referring to. Some of the local authorities include people who are excluded by other local authorities. If non-contributory old age pensioners with no other income are included in this scheme and are refused waiver I would consider that to be unfair and unreasonable.
Would the Minister convey that view to the Laois County Council?
If the Deputy will give me particulars of the person concerned I will ask the county manager about the case and pass his reply on to the Deputy.
Is it not important that all local authorities have a uniform rates waiver system?
I agree it would be better but when the Act was passed this was not the idea. It was agreed that it was optional for a local authority to adopt such a scheme. Some councils have not adopted such a scheme but I feel they should all have one.
Does the Minister encourage them all to have one?
Yes.
18.
asked the Minister for Local Government the number of persons who benefited in each local authority area in which rates waiver schemes were adopted in 1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73 and 1973-74.
The reply to this question is in the form of a tabular statement which I propose with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle to circulate with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
NUMBER of persons who benefited in each local authority area in which rates waiver schemes were adopted.
|
Local Authority |
1970-71 |
1971-72 |
1972-73 |
1973-74 |
|
County Councils: |
||||
|
Cavan |
No scheme |
No scheme |
246 |
565 |
|
Donegal |
382 |
611 |
1,041 |
1,338 |
|
Dublin |
514 |
650 |
901 |
1,287 |
|
Galway |
395 |
602 |
561 |
480 |
|
Kerry |
951 |
1,674 |
2,196 |
2,343 |
|
Kilkenny |
340 |
331 |
389 |
379 |
|
Laois |
218 |
237 |
267 |
272 |
|
Limerick |
1,316 |
1,201 |
1,896 |
2,083 |
|
Longford |
238 |
293 |
444 |
504 |
|
Louth |
256 |
350 |
414 |
454 |
|
Meath |
249 |
320 |
255 |
459 |
|
Offaly |
129 |
103 |
86 |
196 |
|
Tipperary N. R. |
407 |
400 |
481 |
594 |
|
Tipperary S. R. |
731 |
920 |
985 |
402 |
|
Waterford |
No scheme |
No scheme |
155 |
238 |
|
Westmeath |
204 |
256 |
373 |
320 |
|
Wicklow |
12 |
26 |
90 |
229 |
|
County Borough Corporations: |
||||
|
Cork |
483 |
834 |
937 |
941 |
|
Dublin |
2,206 |
3,973 |
5,738 |
7,581 |
|
Limerick |
242 |
359 |
426 |
531 |
|
Waterford |
462 |
585 |
643 |
612 |
|
Borough Corporations and Urban District Councils: |
||||
|
Arklow |
7 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
|
Athlone |
84 |
91 |
116 |
81 |
|
Ballina |
99 |
31 |
No scheme |
No scheme |
|
Birr |
35 |
33 |
49 |
36 |
|
Bray |
4 |
12 |
23 |
28 |
|
Buncrana |
26 |
30 |
49 |
53 |
|
Carrick-on-Suir |
18 |
25 |
55 |
62 |
|
Carrickmacross |
No scheme |
Nil |
Nil |
No scheme |
|
Castleblayney |
4 |
6 |
9 |
22 |
|
Cavan |
2 |
10 |
12 |
19 |
|
Ceanannus Mor |
40 |
60 |
38 |
55 |
|
Clones |
3 |
14 |
14 |
19 |
|
Clonmel |
117 |
137 |
182 |
185 |
|
Drogheda |
203 |
323 |
395 |
522 |
|
Dundalk |
286 |
406 |
668 |
693 |
|
Dún Laoghaire |
63 |
90 |
124 |
170 |
|
Fermoy |
No scheme |
No scheme |
No scheme |
35 |
|
Galway |
39 |
204 |
263 |
274 |
|
Kilkenny |
30 |
36 |
46 |
62 |
|
Killarney |
13 |
21 |
20 |
38 |
|
Letterkenny |
No scheme |
No scheme |
Nil |
10 |
|
Listowel |
176 |
170 |
200 |
203 |
|
Longford |
48 |
41 |
61 |
76 |
|
Mallow |
No scheme |
No scheme |
23 |
56 |
|
Midleton |
No scheme |
No scheme |
No scheme |
74 |
|
Monaghan |
8 |
25 |
22 |
18 |
|
Navan |
24 |
27 |
29 |
44 |
|
Nenagh |
35 |
44 |
51 |
56 |
|
New Ross |
10 |
19 |
25 |
42 |
|
Templemore |
20 |
31 |
18 |
29 |
|
Thurles |
32 |
63 |
75 |
23 |
|
Tipperary |
No scheme |
127 |
156 |
215 |
|
Tralee |
111 |
216 |
218 |
317 |
|
Trim |
5 |
6 |
9 |
10 |
|
Tullamore |
12 |
16 |
14 |
20 |
|
Westport |
25 |
32 |
34 |
39 |
|
TOTAL |
11,314 |
16,086 |
21,537 |
25,409 |