Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I call for a debate on the funding of local authorities from the central Exchequer and on the road we are taking in this respect. I concur with Senators Mooney and O'Sullivan about the demise of local government and the abolition of town councils. It appears that many local authorities, particularly rural counties, are being starved of funding. My advice to councillors in the Munster area, particularly those from the parties on this side of the House, is that they should rail against agreeing a budget where the consequence will be that very hard-pressed medium and small businesses, including clothes shops, pubs and restaurants in rural Ireland, will be hit with severe rates bills.

Many of these businesses are almost buckling under the pressure of rates bills when the economy has declined significantly over the past number of years. The Valuation Office is dealing with the revaluation of properties that were valued for a certain number of millions of euro eight or ten years ago but are not worth that now. The Valuation Office is understaffed and overwhelmed with appeals. The problem is nationwide, which is bothering me. I understand, for example, that in Offaly the Valuation Office has fast-tracked the reduction of rates for telecommunication masts. This means that in that small county, €1.5 million is to be wiped off the funding stream of Offaly County Council, and I am sure the same is happening in many other counties. Who will pay for this other than the hard-pressed rate payers? There will be no fast-tracking for a small shop in Skibbereen, the rural pub in some part of Kerry or businesses struggling to survive. I know one restaurant in my area - I will not mention the town or the business - that, because of a rates bill and the bank taking away a €20,000 overdraft facility, had to close approximately five years ago, with the loss of 20 jobs. I am deeply concerned that unless there is a confrontation with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Department of Finance, where local authorities are not being funded properly, there will be a public revolt on this very shortly. I am asking for an urgent debate on this issue. If that is not forthcoming in the next couple of weeks, I will push the issue to a vote.