Vol. 344 No. 9
asked the Minister for the Environment the steps he is taking to make the collection of local authority rates, particularly in provincial counties, more cost efficient; and whether he will consider adopting a centralised computer assisted collection process similar to that recently adopted in the North of Ireland.
251.
asked the Minister for the Environment whether he is aware that the estimated cost of collecting the sum of £443,000 local government rates from 1,089 ratepayers in the Tipperary (North Riding) County Council area this year is £208,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
252.
asked the Minister for the Environment in view of the cost of the collection of rates in each county in 1982 if he proposes to continue the present system of collection; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 250, 251 and 252 together. I am aware that it is estimated by Tipperary (North Riding) County Council that it will cost £208,000 approximately to collect the warrant of £443,000 in the county in the current year.
Having regard to the decline in the workloads of rate collectors generally, the question of rationalising rate collection arrangements is being examined in the context of a claim by the staff side, under the conciliation and arbitration scheme, for the creation of a new national grade of revenue collector. It is intended that discussions will be arranged by the Local Government Staff Negotiations Board with staff side interests as soon as possible. With regard to the use of computers, I would point out that most local authorities are presently using computers in connection with the levy and assessment of rates.
In all the circumstances, I have no proposals for replacing the existing computer based systems with a central one. I should mention that the Northern Ireland system of rate collection, which is a centralised one, is not comparable to ours.
