Results 2,661-2,680 of 5,388 for speaker:John Deasy

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: So Mr. Lavery will deal with it in the Department and issue a statutory instrument, potentially.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: That is fair enough and the Secretary General explained that this is a new landscape and when the Department got involved in this first it was something nobody had dealt with before. Such things will happen and that is fair enough. The Department can acknowledge that but when it was pointed out that estates were left off that list, the Department did not step in and say, "Fair enough". The...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: This is key.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: I have got to stop Ms Tallon there because businesses do not understand what she just said. Her Department is engaging in a process in the case of amalgamations or abolition of town councils. In my home town, they have an ARV level which might be lower than the county level. That ARV level will be, to use the Department's word, "harmonised". Effectively, there is a risk that ARV level...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: If that is the case, I will ask Ms Tallon a question. The Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012 was introduced in the Seanad last year. That Bill completely changes the system of assessment in this country when it comes to commercial rates on properties. It moves to a system of self-assessment. Can Ms Tallon tell me what input her Department had in that piece of legislation? If Mr....

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: Fair enough.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: I am painfully aware of the system. I have spoken to the Commissioner.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: So this must be of serious concern. Effectively, Ms Tallon is saying that less money is coming in. The Department is monitoring the amount of money that local authorities have to actually operate and provide services. That pool of money is deteriorating as the years go on and the figures prove that. Therefore, what are the guidelines with regard to writing off these arrears?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: I have all the figures. I have asked a parliamentary question.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: There are massive variations. It is germane to this committee and to the taxpayer. The question is: what are the guidelines with regard to the writing off of arrears? Ms Tallon has just said some authorities are better than others.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: There is an issue here with regard to the taxpayer and the purse. What is the Department's role in informing and communicating to those local authority officials how and when to write off arrears and when not to?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: What is its role in regard to the writing off of arrears?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: Sure. I deal with businesses and local authority officials all the time, but it is clear - Ms Tallon accepts this - that there are big differences between local authorities when it comes to the collection of commercial rates.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: This brings me to my second point. I am going to question whether that actually happens. I will get to the nub of where I am going with this. The Valuation Office, as Ms Tallon is aware, is engaged in a revaluation process. In the case of Waterford City and county it is undertaking a comprehensive revaluation of businesses and their commercial rates levels as we speak. Certificates are...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: I welcome Ms Tallon and her officials. I will start by asking Ms Tallon about rates, specifically rates arrears and rates that have been written off. The most up-to-date figures I have seen have been for 2006 to 2010 in response to Dáil questions I asked about the amounts that have been written off and the amounts in arrears in local authorities around the country. Figures suggest...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: I raised an issue last week about the Valuation Office. The Chairman offered to consider inviting the office to appear before the committee. Can we make that request as soon as possible?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: There is a major issue among businesses in my constituency with regard to valuations being made by the Valuation Office. It is clear that many will go out of business. This is relevant to the work of this committee and the taxpayer because of the massive amounts of commercial rates being written off and the massive arrears in local authorities, which are going up. There is an association...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: Deputy Dowds has raised the other big issue in this respect, which is the introduction of the Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012. This completely changes the way in which businesses are assessed. We are moving towards a system of self-assessment and the Valuation Office will have views on that and when and whether it should be expedited through the Government. What will it mean to...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (27 Jun 2013)

John Deasy: Regarding the correspondence from Deputy Stanton, the Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence, we should send him a transcript of what Matthew Elderfield said at this committee a couple of weeks ago to see if any issues arise that his committee can examine too, just as a matter of course.