Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister indicated earlier this week that he intended to introduce heads of Bill in this area in April. As such, new legislation may be forthcoming by the end of the year. Will the Tánaiste confirm that the rates bills which have landed on businesses' desks in recent weeks and will continue to be sent in the coming months will not be enforceable once the new legislation to amend the archaic mechanism used for calculating rates has been introduced? Notwithstanding the Government's commitment to address the regional imbalance, this development merely serves as a means of wiping out many businesses.

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