Results 2,741-2,760 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: It is not about disadvantaging taxpayers, rather it is about ensuring that every taxpayer is treated equally. It is about ensuring that a taxpayer, when having his or her rates assessed or having a valuation done, having provided all the information in regard to his or her premises, is not put at a disadvantage by somebody who has not. I will give the Senator more detail. This provision...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: I take the point the Senator is making. To be very clear, the only purpose of this provision concerns those who had the information when it was sought. If one has new information one would be entitled to produce it-----

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: -----at the tribunal.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: The provision does not do anything to prevent people providing new information. Rather, it prevents people from holding onto information and withholding it until they get to the appeals stage. In that regard it is quite fair. It is also important that at representation stage people can provide all the information they want. There is a process in place at representation stage to provide...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: It is very important that the Bill is read as a whole. If there is a situation where any information one has can be provided right up to the issuing of a certificate and though the representation stage, the amendments refer to the fact one was asked by the Valuations Office to provide information which every other ratepayer can be asked to provide. It is not something it thought about later...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: Any new information can be provided right up until representation stage.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: We are only referring to information which has been requested. If the Valuations Office estimates a valuation because no data has been provided, the appellant will be able to provide that data at appeals stage. It refers to people who have been asked for information but did not provide it. It does not refer to anything else at appeals stage. The ratepayer still has the opportunity to...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: These amendments provide for the insertion into the section of the Bill the grounds on which a ratepayer may base an appeal to the Valuation Tribunal. The change of service is to strengthen the concepts of correctness, equity and uniformity as the pre-eminent principles on which the valuation code is grounded. It also aligns the grounds of appeal and the determination of value in a...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: I thank Senators for the acknowledgement that my officials have engaged with various stakeholders on this issue. However, it is important to note that the substance of the discussions to date has been that if there are to be further amendments or addendums, they will be to section 19(5), as opposed to the actual appeals section. Last time, we spoke at length about the fact, based on several...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: I do not want to be argumentative because there has been a constructive effort in the House and by the stakeholders to ensure a robust and fair system of appeal will be in place. However, I must reiterate that any change to section 19(5) will not affect the appeals provision. All we are saying is that the appeals provision needs to take cognisance of section 19(5), namely, the two principles.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: Concerns were expressed last week on Committee Stage when amendments to section 19(5) were debated. I undertook to ask officials to engage with the relevant stakeholders on the concerns raised. Meetings have taken place with the Irish Hotels Federation and the Society of Chartered Surveyors. One concern relates to whether the methodology used by the valuation manager in drawing up the...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: No. The issue at hand concerns the criteria by which the valuation tribunal must assess an appeal. The amendments I proposed the last day to section 19(5) were cognisant of High Court judgments. Those amendments indicated that the Valuation Tribunal needed to consider that the correct value was attached in a concrete sense, as well as uniformity and equity in terms of other premises in a...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: The conversation on amendments Nos. 58 and 59 probably leads into this area. This amendment aligns the consideration by the Valuation Tribunal of appeals with the grounds on which an appeal can be made under section 35 and with the determination of value by the valuation manager, under section 19, or the revision manager, under section 49, as appropriate. These amendments are a response to...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: I have said all I can, other than to repeat that the talks are continuing. We are having a constructive engagement. However, any constructive engagement would relate to section 19(5) as opposed to this amendment and I urge the House to agree to the amendment.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: Persons other than the occupier are entitled to appeal a determination by the commissioner.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: He is wasting my time.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: I assure Senator Norris that I will be speedy on the matter. Persons other than the occupier are entitled to appeal a determination by the commissioner. These include the rating authority, another occupier in the rating authority area or an interest holder. This is a technical amendment to ensure that where the valuation list has been amended to take account of an appeal decision of the...

Other Questions (9 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: Deputy Fleming should apologise for Deputy Calleary as well.

Other Questions: Drainage Schemes Status (9 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Kyne for asking this question and giving me an opportunity to update him and the House on the position on the Claregalway scheme. SI 469 and SI 470 of 2012 give effect in Irish law to EU Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. As the...

Other Questions: Drainage Schemes Status (9 Oct 2014)

Simon Harris: I am happy to confirm that there is no funding issue and that the project is included in the capital expenditure of the OPW to 2016. I wish to provide Deputy Kyne with some information. The total budget for the scheme, when VAT and future cost fluctuations are taken into account, is €7.1 million. Once we have this scheme confirmed, we will be in a position to commence works fairly...