Ms Marie McLaughlin:

There is not an awful lot I can say in that responsibility for rates, as the Chairman knows, is a devolved function of local authorities. The establishment of the ARV is a matter for them and rating legislation is a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. It is certainly true to say that the Government is very conscious of the impact of rates. Various efforts have been made by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to exhort local authorities to maintain the ARV at or below the level of the previous year, and most local authorities have done that. However, it is not a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to dictate to local authorities what the ARVs will be.