Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to make some general comments, in particular regarding the massive delay in dealing with the Bill. It has taken so long for it to wind its way through the House. In that time, Fianna Fáil put forward a Bill in regard to sports clubs which have a bar, and I am glad the Minister of State has put that into the legislation, which we welcome. However, the fact this legislation has been allowed to rumble on into this year means many sports clubs are now getting their rates bills. Two clubs were on my local radio station last week, having got a huge rates bill for the first time ever as they had never had a rates bill before in respect of their bar. Had this legislation been passed in less than two and a half years, those clubs probably would not have got a rates bill. I ask the Minister of State to clarify when this will come into effect. If a club has a rates bill that it has received in the post, and many clubs have received one, do they have to pay the rates for this year when this Bill is passed? Is it going to take years for a revaluation to take place? That is now my worry about this legislation.

Second, can the Minister of State clarify the whole area of community sport under the Bill? With all due respect, his colleague, Deputy Fitzpatrick, was on my local radio station the other morning and massive confusion was engendered by that particular debate as to what is or is not rateable. It was suggested that all income coming in from renting out pitches and so on would make the premises rateable. My understanding, through our debates in the Seanad, is that this was substantially amended and, if I recall correctly, I welcomed that at the time. Once it was not done for profit and once it involved community sport, which, in fairness, was broadly defined, the rates would not apply. Again, if I remember it correctly, this is something I got the Minister of State to change because that provision on income was originally in the Bill. I am glad I succeeded in having that change made - in fact, I am very proud of that. Can the Minister of State clarify when these bills are actually going to change? What is or is not rateable in a sports club? The people in my region and across the country will be listening to what the Minister of State has to say.