Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for facilitating the Committee Stage of the debate today.
The amendments to section 2 provide for new definitions and for deletions, substitutions and extensions of existing definitions in the 2001 Act. Amendments Nos. 1 and 4 delete the definitions of "alternative valuation", "determined valuation" and "current valuation list". The definitions of "alternative valuation" and "determined valuation" are no longer required as a consequence of proposed changes to the provisions dealing with occupier assisted valuation. The definition of "current valuation list" is deemed to be superfluous and has the potential to cause confusion, given that there can only be one valuation list at any one time and for which there is an adequate definition in the Act.
Amendment No. 5 makes the following three changes. First, the definition of "material change of circumstances" is extended to include relevant property becoming licensed or ceasing to be licensed under the licensing Acts 1833 to 2011. Second, a definition of "officer of the commissioner" is inserted. This term encompasses persons who are in the employment of the Valuation Office and also persons who are engaged by the Commissioner of Valuation on contract as part of an external service provision or outsourcing arrangement. This definition is needed to ensure functions assigned to officers of the commissioner throughout the Act can also be carried out by persons engaged to work on an outsourced basis on behalf of the commissioner. Third, the definition of "rating authority" inserted by the Local Government Reform Act 2014 is extended to include Inland Fisheries Ireland and to state that the functional area of Inland Fisheries Ireland is the State and its territorial waters.
Amendment No. 6 deletes the definition of "substituted valuation" as this term is no longer used in the proposed changes to Part 5A dealing with the occupier assisted valuation. This amendment also changes the definition of "value" which is a technical tidying-up amendment resulting from changes made to the Valuation Act 2001 in the Local Government Reform Act 2014. That Act deleted paragraphs 1(o) from Schedule 3, therefore all references to that paragraph must also be deleted.