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Commercial Rates Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 October 2013

Tuesday, 1 October 2013

Questions (467)

James Bannon

Question:

467. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will introduce new legislation to prevent councils from hiking up rates that are increasingly shutting down small businesses and putting families out of work (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40661/13]

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Written answers

Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Act 2001. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. The annual rate on valuation (ARV), which is applied to the valuation for each property determined by the Valuation Office to obtain the amount payable in rates, is decided by the elected members of each local authority in the annual budget and its determination is a reserved function.

I am acutely aware of the pressures on small and medium - sized businesses at the present time. Local authorities have been asked by my Department to exercise restraint or, where possible, to reduce commercial rates and local charges for 2013. Local authorities have responded well to such requests in recent years and in 2013, 87 out of the 88 rating authorities have either reduced their ARV or kept it the same as in 2012. I will continue to keep the approach to rates by local authorities under active review, and am determined that every avenue will be pursued to optimise efficiency and contain costs in the local government sector.

The Commissioner of Valuation is conducting a programme of revaluation of all commercial and industrial properties throughout the State on a county by county basis. The purpose of the revaluation process is to provide for more consistent and up-to-date valuations for rating purposes and to assist in providing a more equitable distribution of valuations across those liable to pay rates. The Valuation (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 2012, published by my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform who has responsibility for valuation matters, proposes to amend existing valuation legislation in a number of areas by facilitating the adoption of new approaches to valuation, including self-assessment and external service delivery options, through the outsourcing of elements of the valuation function, where appropriate.

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