John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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On the questions raised by Deputies Deasy and O'Donnell, I do not want to go over old ground. As a ratepayer, I notice that businesses generally throughout the country, particularly small businesses, are in serious difficulty. The delegation has stated the person holding the lease or the person renting the property pays the insurance and the rates. My experience of dealing with the SME sector and its information on leases suggests leases are not worth the paper they are written on and are generally just being held together in terms of the relationship with the landlord. The landlord is now probably paying the rates and the insurance and this is affecting the level of rent, which is becoming increasingly lower. This is a feature of the marketplace that the delegates must have discovered in their interaction with the sector, regardless of the county. Will the witnesses comment on this?

The office has stated the make-up of the rent, leases, etc., on a street is identified. What about the streets in every city and county on which there are but a few shops open and quite a number of premises on which no rent or rates are being paid? How is this factored in to the office's evaluation of the businesses on such a street?

With regard to the subsequent occupier clause, whereby a new tenant becomes responsible for the previous tenant's unpaid rates, it is causing a problem throughout the country because it is making properties more difficult to rent. The issue of previous tenants' rates not having been paid is beginning to emerge and becoming a problem in every county.

Will the witnesses address these three issues?