Mr. Sean Murphy:

I would have to look at the membership list but I am not aware of any. The members tend to be from the Government side of the table. We addressed the group and the chairman and the president of Dungarvan Chamber of Commerce highlighted that the differential between Dungarvan and other areas of rural County Waterford is approximately 15% to 17%.

The Government is sensitised to the issue of the discrete number of town councils wherein the rates are lower than for the county. For example, the rates of Sligo town council are higher than those for the country and, therefore, their abolition is not of significant sensitivity to our chamber colleagues in Sligo. This is a big issue in Letterkenny, Navan, Ennis, Dungarvan, Mallow and Midleton. These are the areas for which the transition is of particular concern. At a minimum, we are seeking a sliding scale of interaction as rates plug into the county. However, we believe that the rates should ultimately fall to the lower rate of the two.

The group has not yet produced a report. We have discussed the issue with Mr. Colm Lavery and are due to meet the Minister on these matters. This is a matter of great concern to struggling towns, including Dungarvan, that have been through a lot during the past couple of years.