Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To answer the question directly, people have been charged for the first three months of the year, or coming up to the first four. Once I sign the regulations into law, there will be no charge but there is no refund of what has been paid already. It is annualised and then divided so, effectively, it would be for one quarter of the year. That is what people have been levied for the first period of this year, should they have had outdoor street furniture. In some instances, that has happened and it will be the case for many, given it is coming up to the summer season, which we hope arrives at some stage or another. Should the Oireachtas and the committee approve this, we will sign the regulations into law straight away. However, there will be no refund of what has been paid already for the year. These are for the remainder of the year, that is, up to the end of the year.