Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Government offices, schools and so forth are also exempt, as are the constituency offices of Deputies. I must put it on record that there is a logical reason for the latter exemption. A Deputy who has a constituency office in Leinster House does not pay rates so those of us who have our constituency offices in our constituencies must be treated equally. That is the reason for that particular exemption.

The last issue relates to County Laois and self-assessment. I will ask some of the commissioner's senior officials to attend a public meeting. We receive requests all the time on this issue and I said I would arrange a meeting which will be attended by officials from the Valuation Office.