Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

These are technical changes to the section that provides for the limiting of the aggregate amounts of rates that a local authority can collect in the year after revaluation. The order is made to assure ratepayers that a revaluation is about rebalancing the rates liability among ratepayers to reflect modern values and not about increasing the rates take. The amendments proposed will ensure that a rate limitation order does not simply apply to the first revaluation in a local authority area but can be made in respect of all subsequent revaluations. It also simplifies the definition of an "appropriate year". The other changes relate to the calculation of the consumer price index, CPI, quotient that is applied in the calculation of the maximum rate amount. The current wording may be ambiguous and this new wording is being proposed to clarify the calculation. Consequently, I view these amendments as being technical.