Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has had discussions with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to investigate the possibility of exempting sports bodies from commercial rates in view of the considerable pressure that this places on sports organisations in all parts of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22331/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The position in relation to this matter is that my Department has no responsibility in relation to commercial rates.

I have not discussed this matter with the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, though representations received in respect of a particular club were forwarded to the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government for his attention. While that Department has responsibility for Local Authorities who collect commercial rates, the matter raised in this question and also in the representations would appear to require a change to the Valuation Act 2001 which I understand is the responsibility of the Minister for Finance. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government have therefore sent the said representations to the Minister of Finance for his consideration.

The Department of Finance have advised my officials that the situation with regard to commercial rates and sporting bodies is that in accordance with the Valuation Act 2001, sports clubs which are licensed to sell alcohol and registered under the Registration of Club (Ireland) Act, 1904 are rateably valued as licensed clubs in their entirety, which includes all the buildings in the club notwithstanding their various uses at different times. The operation of the licence by the sports club is regarded as a commercial activity and these licensed club premises are competing with other licensed premises, all of which are rateable.

The Department of Finance has further advised that there are no plans at present to amend the valuation legislation as currently applied to licensed club premises.