Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Stanley for his amendment. The approach that I am proposing in the Bill is that, following the restructuring of the local government sector, there will be a single rating authority and a single valuation list, with a single, unified annual rate on valuation on every local authority. The power to determine the annual rate on valuation will rest with the elected members at plenary council level.

One of the key objectives of the reform programme, including the establishment of municipal districts, is to establish a more coherent approach to rates and charges across counties. To accept Deputy Stanley's amendment would be to undermine this approach. Inevitably, one municipal district in Laois would have one commercial rate and another district would have a different one. I do not know what impact this would have on economic development or incentives to attract people to a particular area of a county over another. I appreciate the Deputy's interest in the small business sector and I am sure that it will be reflected when he gets his party's county councillors in Laois to reduce commercial rates in the context of next year's budget.

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