Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the new rates Bill and I will begin by giving an example. There is a complex in south county Dublin which is owned by one of the biggest multinational IT companies in the world and it was opened by the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar. It is wonderful to have inward investment, something with which I agree. This building is purpose built, with the capacity to hold a workforce of 3,000. According to its website, the complex is twice the size of Croke Park and is the height of three double decker buses. This company has never paid a single penny in commercial rates to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown council. I am not blaming the company or the council. The council knows the square footage of this building since it granted planning permission for it and oversaw the planning regulations in relation to its construction. The problem is that the Valuation Office tells us that there are thousands of properties which need to be valued and it does not have enough resources, support or valuers to carry them out. It is estimated that the local authority is losing €1 million annually. One cannot charge rates until a property is occupied. The property in question has been occupied for nine months at most. The Taoiseach opened it officially in February but it was operational last year. Local authorities rely on commercial rates, local property tax and central intervention to fund the core activities of local government.

The Minister of State, Deputy John Paul Phelan, has responsibility for this area and I have spoken to him about a general review of new rates. We need to take a whole new look at how we rate commercial properties, how we apply rates and how we can bring in different bands. It is an archaic system. I am not talking about scrapping it but about reforming it. There had been a suggestion from Government that we would have a new rates Bill but when one of the biggest companies in the world is not paying rates here not due to any fault of its own, but because the Valuation Office says it cannot prioritise properties, it is a very serious issue. I ask the Leader to speak to the Minister of State and ascertain what is happening regarding a new rates Bill.

I congratulate everyone who organised the Vótáil 100 contributions in the House earlier today. I came in to listen to some of it, and I congratulate all the young people who spoke. They all spoke exceptionally well. Their content was very good but I was more impressed by their delivery and in their art of communication. They could teach some Members in both Houses the art of imparting knowledge and communicating with people. They did themselves, their communities and their schools proud and I say well done to them and their families.Hopefully in the not too distant future some of those people will be here taking seats in the Oireachtas. I congratulate all those involved.