Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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No. I think they said they do not know. They have no information on the enforcement procedures in the other EU countries. They do not know. It is something that the Irish Road Haulage Association can take up through its European associates. There must be associations at an EU level for road haulage because I am sure there are issues that are not just specific to Ireland. Perhaps that is a useful point. From our point of view, we will note and publish the correspondence. We have obtained a lot of information, which was not in the public arena but it is out there now. I hope that it will be in some way helpful to the people who contacted us.

The next item is No. 2324 from John O'Sullivan, Commissioner, Valuation Office, dated 17 July 2019, responding to a request for details regarding the valuation appeals process. We asked about the appeals on commercial rates for business owners, the revaluation programme, the details regarding the resourcing of the Valuation Office and details regarding the Valuation Tribunal. We welcome the information on the basis of information. It would take approximately two years to clear the current backlog of appeals.

We also have related correspondence No. 2341 from the same Mr. O'Sullivan, dated 30 July 2019, responding to correspondence that we sent from the Irish Petrol Retailers Association. Mr. O'Sullivan distinguished between the role of the Valuation Office and the Valuation Tribunal. He stated that the association's comments, in relation to the independence of the Valuation Tribunal are unwarranted and misplaced, as far as they are concerned. There is also information regarding a freedom of information request and the freedom of information appeals process that is available to the association. We will note and publish that.

It has given, as I have said, a chart that shows the publication dates. I also have seen the chart where it has completed revaluations. The office seem to be saying, for several counties, that they have looked after local authorities and that the percentage of ratepayers experiencing a rate reduction in nearly all cases is well over 50%, and is anywhere between 50% and 70%. The percentage of ratepayers experiencing rate increases is in the region of 30% to 40%. For a small number, generally, there was no change. We all know from our own counties where we hear from the 40% who maybe had an increase but we do not hear much from the 60% who had a decrease. I have just given the information as they have given it.

I will make one last point. The Irish Petrol Retailers Association said it was denied information under freedom of information legislation. The association is saying in their correspondence that they gave the legal reason information could not be released as part of the freedom of information, FOI, request and there is an appeals process. We are not the appeals process. It is up to them to go through the appeals process in relation to the FOI non-release of information.