Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Like many other Deputies, I want to pay tribute to the really good and important work of people in the local authorities and their commitment to their local communities, which has been outstanding in many cases. One of the advantages of being the final speaker is that one has the opportunity to hear what is said during the debate, some of which I have been listening to in my office. I raise the issue of the rates waiver. Three months was a good start but, as the Minister of State knows, some businesses will not be able to reopen after three months. Of those which do, perhaps in three or four months' time or whatever, many will take a long time to return to profitability. The last thing they want to think about is being faced with a rates bill they cannot pay. The Minister of State will correct me if I am wrong but I thought I heard him say that the Government is actively considering - perhaps it is even in its plan - to extend the rates waiver. I ask that he also consider, when people are back in business, a pro ratarate payment to reflect the level of profitability of businesses.

The other side of that, of course, is the local authorities. They are starved of funding. It is not just the loss of rates but also the loss of parking fees, planning permission fees and so forth. The Minister of State said that the three months of rates money would be in the bank accounts of local authorities in early or mid-June. That is good news. They will be delighted. However, is the Minister of State also considering assisting those local authorities with income forgone from the areas I mentioned such as parking and so forth? What precise commitments can he make?

My final question has been raised by a number of other Deputies. In a Zoom call with Leitrim County Council last Monday one councillor after another raised the issue of one-off rural housing as their highest priority. The Minister of State's party councillors were the same as the others. The problem is that in 2019, planning permission for just two one-off houses was granted in County Leitrim. We all talk about remote working from home. Unless the people in County Leitrim are to be denied that possibility there must be a change in how planning regulations are implemented. I am not saying there are no issues because there are. There are issues with soil suitability, for example, but there are innovative solutions. My request is that we stop looking at this with an urban mindset or from an ideological perspective. We should try to find solutions. It will be good for the environment, with fewer car journeys and fewer CO2 emissions. Issues with childcare can be more flexible and there can be a better work-life balance for people. There are many wins here, but the mindset must change. The Minister of State said he was close to completing guidelines or regulations on the building of one-off houses. Will he examine this issue with an open mind and a willingness to find solutions?

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