Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 16 Jul 1935

Vol. 58 No. 5

Rates on Agricultural Land (Relief) (No. 2) Bill—Money Resolution. - In Committee on Finance.

Minister for Local Government and Public Health (Mr. O Ceallaigh)

I move:—

Go bhfuil sé oiriúnach a údarú go n-íocfaí amach as airgead a sholáthróidh an tOireachtas deontas de £370,000 (trí chéad agus seachtó míle púnt) agus aon chostaisí eile fé n-a raghfar chun éifeachta do thabhairt da'on Acht a rithfear sa tSiosón so chun méid an deontais talmhaíochta dá dtagartar in Alt 48 den Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, in aghaidh na bliana airgeadais dar thosach an ladh lá d'Abrán, 1935, do mhéadú tuilleadh agus chun socruithe do dhéanamh chun an deontais sin agus é méaduithe amhlaidh do chur chun críche agus i dtaobh nithe eile bhaineas le faoiseamh do thabhairt o rátaí ar thalamh thalmhaíochta.

That it is expedient to authorise the payment out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas of a grant of £370,000 (three hundred and seventy thousand pounds) and of any other expenses incurred in carrying into effect any Act of the present Session further to increase the amount of the agricultural grant referred to in Section 48 of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, for the financial year which began on the 1st day of April, 1935, and to provide for the application of the said grant as so increased and for other matters connected with the relief of rates on agricultural land.

General Mulcahy

In view of the reduction of £100,000 in the amount provided for under this Bill, would the Minister tell us whether he proposes to do anything with regard to the £718,000 odd withheld from local bodies in the beginning of the year in respect of land annuities outstanding for the year ended February, 1935? There is no doubt that a certain amount of these Land Commission annuities have since been collected. Is it the Government's intention to leave local authorities without that £718,000 or do they propose to restore to local authorities so much of the Land Commission annuities as have been collected since in respect of last year's annuities?

Mr. O Ceallaigh

It has been the custom to review the situation a few times during the year, to take stock of the amounts outstanding and the amounts paid, in the different counties where annuities are outstanding. I think that sums in respect of land annuities are outstanding in every county. That review will be carried out this year as it was last year and an effort will be made to get from the Exchequer an accounting, first of all, and to get as substantial a sum as possible from the Exchequer towards meeting the claims of the county councils and towards relieving them. Undoubtedly, in many cases, additional charges in the way of extra rates have had to be borne by these counties as a result of the failure to pay annuities. It would be my desire, at any rate, to get as much as possible of the money that has been collected at an early date. I cannot fix any date in that matter but when the time for review does come, I shall endeavour to get as much as possible and to have it divided amongst the various county councils, probably pro rata to the amounts collected in these counties.

General Mulcahy

Would the Minister say if, in reviewing the situation and dividing such moneys as have been collected, he will arrange that credit notes will be issued so as to reduce the burden of rates on ratepayers during the year? I understand that the rates have been prepared in such a way that the additional £718,000 has been charged to the ratepayers. If a substantial amount of that money has been collected in the meantime, does not the Minister think that an arrangement should be made under which credit notes would be issued to the ratepayers so as to reduce the amount of rates they would have to pay?

Mr. O Ceallaigh

In some counties the county councils did not impose a rate sufficient to cover the amount that was lost to them, temporarily at any rate, as a result of the failure to pay annuities in these counties. In some counties they put on very little to meet the liability that accrued in that way. However, that is by the way. As to how this money, if we can get it, can be credited to individual ratepayers, that is a matter I shall have to take up with the Department. I do not know whether the suggestion the Deputy makes would be practicable at this stage or not, but it is a suggestion I shall put before the Department if and when we get the money.

General Mulcahy

The very fact that local bodies did fail to make provision in the rates for the additional amount involved, indicates that the county councils realised what a hardship it would be to the ratepayers in their present condition if they did so. In counties where they have done so, the ratepayers would be suffering under a load of increased rates that ratepayers in other counties would not have to bear.

Motion put and agreed to.