asked the Minister for Local Government the total amount of rates collected in each of the years from 1969 to 1974 from (a) the Twenty-Six counties (b) Dublin city (c) Dublin county (d) residential premises (e) residential business premises (f) business premises and (g) semi-State bodies and Government buildings; the estimated amount to be collected in 1975; the total amount of moneys required to run local authority services in the years 1969 to 1975; and the percentage of these moneys which were provided from the rates.
Written Answers. - Rates Collection.
497.
Such information as is available in my Department as to the amounts of rates collected by and the revenue expenditure of local authorities in the State in the local financial years 1969-70 to 1975, inclusive, is set out in the statement below. The information requested at (d), (e), (f) and (g) is not available in the form requested by the Deputy. It has been estimated that, for the State as a whole, of the total income from rates in any year, 53.56 per cent is in respect of domestic hereditaments, and the residential element of mixed hereditaments, 18.94 per cent is in respect of agricultural land, after account has been taken of the agricultural grant, and 27.5 per cent is in respect of industrial, commercial and other miscellaneous hereditaments. Rates, as such, are not paid on foot of property occupied by the State; a contribution in lieu of rates is paid by the State to the relevant local authorities. The amount of the contribution paid in the financial years specified by the Deputy is set out in the statement.
Following is the statement:
1. AMOUNT OF RATES COLLECTED (£000's)
|
1969-70 |
1970-71 |
1971-72 |
1972-73 |
1973-74* |
1974* (nine months only) |
1975* |
|
|
Total for all local authorities |
42,953 |
50,086 |
59,753 |
70,068 |
71,232 |
61,458 |
84,900 |
|
Amounts included above for |
|||||||
|
—Dublin County Council |
2,679 |
3,370 |
4,290 |
5,687 |
6,177 |
6,506 |
11,578 |
|
—Dublin Corporation |
14,100 |
15,306 |
18,535 |
20,457 |
20,108 |
15,866 |
22,757 |
* Estimated figures.
2. CONTRIBUTION IN LIEU OF RATES ON GOVERNMENT PROPERTY (£000's)
|
1969-70 |
1970-71 |
1971-72 |
1972-73 |
1973-74 |
1974 |
1975 |
|
|
1,158 |
1,233 |
1,785 |
2,093 |
2,176 |
1,925 |
2,993 |
|
|
(Estimated) |
3. REVENUE EXPENDITURE OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES (SEE NOTE 1)
|
1969-70 |
1970-71 |
1971-72 (See Note 2) |
1972-73 |
1973-74 (See Note 3) |
1974 (Nine months only) |
1975 |
||||||||
|
£000's |
% from Rates |
£000's |
% from Rates |
£000's |
% from Rates |
£000's |
% from Rates |
£000's |
% from Rates |
£000's |
% from Rates |
£000's |
% from Rates |
|
|
Figures for all local authorities |
133,329 |
32% |
158,088 |
31% |
131,235 |
45% |
154,793 |
45% |
169,272 |
42% |
161,730 |
38% |
224,863 |
37% |
|
Figures included above for |
||||||||||||||
|
—Dublin County Council |
5,282 |
50% |
6,733 |
50% |
8,375 |
51% |
10,490 |
54% |
14,163 |
43% |
15,939 |
40% |
24,190 |
47% |
|
—Dublin Corporation |
24,876 |
56% |
27,656 |
55% |
32,121 |
57% |
37,633 |
53% |
39,934 |
50% |
35,463 |
44% |
51,856 |
43% |
Notes:
1. The figures for the years 1969-70 to 1971-72 have been taken from the Returns of Local Taxation for those years. The figures for the following ye are those given by local authorities in their estimates. Capital expenditure by local authorities on new housing, sanitary and environmental services etc. are not included.
2. The decline in total expenditure and the change in the proportion met from rates as between 1970-71 and 1971-72 were a direct result of the setting up of the health boards. As from 1st April, 1971, the only part of the cost of the health services which continued to be included in the revenue accounts of the local authorities was the rates contribution to the health boards, and the Health Grant became payable directly to the health boards, thereby ceasing to be included in the accounts of the local authorities. The position in Dublin City and County was somewhat different in so far as the health services for the whole Dublin area had been the responsibility of the Dublin Health Authority since 1960-61, and the Health Grant had been paid directly to the Dublin Health Authority in the interim. (This position obtained also in the case of the counties and county boroughs of Cork, Limerick and Waterford).
3. The downward trend in the proportion of total revenue expenditure financed from rates in 1973-74 and subsequent years arises from the Government's decision to transfer the burden of health charges and the subsidisation of local authority housing provided for letting from the rates to the Exchequer.