Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 July 2023
114. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the current performance of the Valuation Tribunal, the resources and whether additional resources are required to carry out its functions in a timely and efficient manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32991/23]
View answerThe Valuation Tribunal is an independent statutory body established under the Valuation Act 1988 and continued by the Valuation Acts 2001 to hear appeals against decisions of Tailte Éireann on the valuation and revaluation of commercial and industrial properties for rating purposes.
The Valuation Tribunal also hears appeals made by owners of derelict sites against the determination by local authorities of the market value of these sites under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 and appeals made under the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 against planning authority determinations of market value in respect of vacant sites.
The ongoing National Revaluation Programme has, in recent years, had significant implications for the workload of the Valuation Tribunal. The introduction of remote hearings, however, has provided the Tribunal with enhanced capacity to facilitate and schedule an increased number of appeals for hearing.
At the beginning of 2023 the Tribunal had 1,010 appeals on hand, down from 1,651 on hands at the beginning of 2022. On average, over the past two years, the Tribunal closed 767 appeals.
There are currently 31 Members assigned to the Tribunal, the term of office of three Members having recently ended. The Public Appointments Service will shortly be running a campaign to fill these vacancies. The Tribunal also has sanction for 15 staff. Currently there are two vacancies, which my Department expects to fill shortly.
My Department will continue to monitor the resourcing of the Valuation Tribunal to enable it to carry out its functions in a timely and efficient manner.
