Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 8:

In page 8, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following: “(6) (a) The Minister may allow for a multi-annual increase in a rate payment and multiannual decrease in a rate payment following a re-valuation if requested by a local authority.

(b) The Minister may by direction in writing amend or revoke a direction under this section (including a direction under this subsection).”.

We have discussed the impact on businesses of revaluations and the significant increases in the bills associated with same. As Mr. Quinlan told us, appeals by businesses have increased in recent years from just a couple of hundred to thousands. There are 1,000 appeals on the books as we speak. The Minister of State well knows that the impact on a business of a revaluation and significant increase, a situation caused by the Valuation Office not having kept pace with the process in recent years, is massive and can be very detrimental to a small business. The thrust of this amendment allows for the staggered payment of rates so that a business is allowed to meet a significant increase over a period of time instead of being hit with it in one go.