Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes, but it is not free to the people who provide the service. They still have to hire staff and light the facility. It is contributing to the overall costs. The Minister of State must ensure that a condition of any further exemption in the area of child care, which are educational facilities in the very same way that schools are, would be that any reduction would be passed on to parents and could not be swallowed up by the service provider.

A submission was made to me by Chambers Ireland. We are all aware of the organisation which has been to the fore in representing the views of its members in conjunction with Retail Excellence Ireland. It has a number of concerns on the Bill. Section 2 addresses the definition of “material change of circumstances” as set out in section 3 of the 2001 Act, but it fails to recognise the single greatest change in the circumstances of most businesses, namely, its profitability in the context of contemporary economic conditions. That is the key. If the way the rate is calculated were to be changed, that would not be an issue.

No consideration was given to the concerns of the business community on section 49 of the 2001 Act. No regard was taken of the fall in profitability of a business or a drop in the retail value of the property. There must be a change in emphasis from business being valued on its reserve output to being valued on the actual output. One example of that phenomenon is quarries. Despite holding considerable reserves, they have seen a dramatic decrease in their output and, subsequently, their profits due to the collapse of the construction sector.

I do not believe the Bill goes far enough. Provincial towns are suffering badly. Rural villages are dead. Post offices and pubs are closing. In many places, the viability of small community schools is under threat. The Bill will not do anything for schools but what it can do if we are serious about supporting small towns and villages is that we can ensure that all the proposed amendments are taken on board. As it stands, the Bill is not fit for purpose and that is the reason Fianna Fáil will vote against its Second Reading.

See this speech in context