Vol. 244 No. 12
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will investigate the decision which has been arrived at in an application for rates relief under the Local Government Rates Act, 1970, whereby an elderly person (details supplied) was required to pay 20 per cent of her income in rates causing her undue hardship.
25.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware of the widespread discontent at the manner in which the Dublin Corporation's rates waiver scheme is being administered; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 25 together.
While the administration of the Dublin Corporation's rates waiver scheme, including the determination of individual applications, is primarily a matter for the local authority, the volume of complaints I received suggested that there was a need for a special review of the operation of the scheme. Accordingly, on the 13th February last I requested the local authority to undertake such a review and to treat the matter as one of urgency so that if improvements were found to be possible they could be implemented by the local authority in time to be of benefit to the ratepayers concerned during the current financial year.
