Tom Shehan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If we are talking about transparency, we have to be honest about this.

I agree very much with the outsourcing of elements of the work. The provision regarding estimating the net annual value of groups of properties needs to be examined because the valuation comes down to the best achievable rents and rents have fallen. Will there be an all-encompassing sweep to collect rates from people who to date have not paid rates, those who were exempted from paying them? Is the amount involved in terms of those who were exempt from paying them significant? Can the Minister of State give a guideline on the amount involved in terms of exemptions from rates? I ask the Minister of State to examine the streamlining of the appeals process as the constitutionality of this has been raised.

On the rolling revaluation process, the Minister of State said there will be a revaluation every ten years. It has taken us a century and a half to bring this one about and it will take at least 13 years to carry it out. Is he being a little ambitious to think that there will be a revaluation every ten years?