John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I have got to stop Ms Tallon there because businesses do not understand what she just said. Her Department is engaging in a process in the case of amalgamations or abolition of town councils. In my home town, they have an ARV level which might be lower than the county level. That ARV level will be, to use the Department's word, "harmonised". Effectively, there is a risk that ARV level will be increased. Therefore, the rates within Dungarvan Town Council will be increased as a result. On top of that, revaluation will add a massive increase to businesses in that particular town council area. I understand that the Valuation Office is statutorily independent but Ms Tallon is absolutely absorbed in and critical to this process because her Department is engaged in administering part of one of those increases. There is a serious systemic problem in government here when a Department is so wrapped up in the administration of an increase that it states to the businesses that are affected by the second increases that it is really nothing to do with the Department. I have gone through this with the different Departments. I have gone through this with the Departments - Public Expenditure and Reform, Finances, and Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation - and no one is taking any leadership on this issue. Everyone is saying, "It is nothing to do with me".

In my opinion, it has everything to do with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and it cannot continue to say that because officials in local government levy and collect the rates that the Valuation Offices applies. Those officials are the ones who deal with the individual businesses. They must deal with the hassle that goes with collecting a rate that might have doubled or tripled, and there is a personal issue associated with that. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is critical and integral to this entire system and it cannot say that it has really nothing to do with it.