Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 July 2020
30. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to engage with Longford County Council in view of the significant reduction in commercial rates due to the decarbonisation process in the midlands. [17640/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government – Our Shared Future commits to a number of actions, including reforming and reimagining our public life. This mission sets out commitments that relate to local authority funding, including setting out how commercial rates will be treated for the remainder of 2020, as a priority action.
The Programme also commits to bringing forward legislation for the Local Property Tax (LPT) on the basis of fairness and that most homeowners will face no increase. The Programme states that those counties with a lower LPT base will be adjusted via an annual national equalisation fund paid from the Exchequer, as is currently the case.
The Programme also recognises the requirements around the Just Transition process to anticipate challenges, which could include the potential for reductions in commercial rates, and plan for responses to them.
Notwithstanding the particular challenges that individual authorities face, all local authorities are experiencing financial challenges as a result of Covid-19. In order to support the local government sector generally, my Department continues to keep local authority income, expenditure and cash flow under review and will continue to work with all local authorities on both collective and individual issues that arise, including those issues that face Longford County Council.
