Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The first part of this amendment, replacing subsections (3) and (4), are minor wording changes, including the replacement of the term "officer so appointed" with "person so appointed".

The amendment to subsection (5) confers an obligation on the valuation manager in drawing up and compiling a valuation list to reference relevant market and other data available and to endeavour to achieve correctness of value, and equity and uniformity of value between properties on that valuation list so that the value of each property is relative to the value of comparable properties in a rating authority area. This brings together the objectives of ensuring that values are correct in themselves and that they are correct relative to other values on the list.

The objective is to ensure that properties of equal value situated in the same rating authority pay equal amounts of rates and that one ratepayer is not given an undue competitive advantage over another. The revaluation of a rating authority is about producing a valuation list that is fair and equitable to all ratepayers in that rating authority area. As a result of a revaluation, properties of similar value should have a similar rates liability. In this regard, section 19(5) brings clarity to what is required of the valuation manager when compiling a valuation list, namely, that he or she must determine the correct value for the property and that the value must also be relative to the value of comparable properties on the same valuation list.

Producing a valuation list comprising valuations that are not relative to each other would result in similar properties having different valuations and as such would result in different rates liabilities, which would give certain ratepayers a competitive advantage or disadvantage, thereby negating the benefits of a revaluation.