David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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437. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress that has been made by the Valuation Office in the national commercial rate revaluation; the areas which have been reviewed to date; when the review will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38792/13]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Valuation Office is currently undertaking a systematic programme of revaluing, for rates purposes, all industrial and commercial properties in the State. The immediate objective of the national revaluation programme is to ensure that the first revaluation of all rating authority areas is conducted as soon as possible. Revaluation is conducted across all relevant properties in one or more rating authority areas at the same time. However, implementation of the national programme cannot occur across the entire country simultaneously and the programme must, accordingly, be operated on a phased basis. Following the first revaluation, subsequent revaluations of each rating authority area will then be carried out on a cyclical basis no sooner than five years and no later than ten years after the first revaluation (Section 25 of the Valuation Act 2001).

Section 9(10) of the Valuation Act 2001 provides that the Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the performance of his functions. Section 19(1) of the said Act empowers the Commissioner to make a Valuation Order specifying a rating authority area over which a revaluation is to be conducted, after consultation with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the rating authority concerned.

Steady progress is being made on the National Revaluation Programme. Between 2007 and 2010 the three Rating Authority areas of South Dublin, Fingal and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown were revalued comprising c.17,700 commercial properties which represents approximately 22% of the national rateable valuation base. Additionally, there are currently six revaluation projects in progress which include the Rating Authority areas of Dublin City, Waterford City and County and Dungarvan Town together with Limerick City and County comprising c. 38,000 commercial properties or 32.6% of the valuation base. Furthermore, the statutory consultation process, required before a valuation order can be made is under way with a further five rating authorities, Galway City Council, Kilkenny County Council, Kilkenny Borough Council, Carlow County Council and Carlow Town Council. Decisions in relation to a further set of rating authorities for revaluation are currently under consideration by the Valuation Office.

The current position as regards projects in train or pending is set out in the following table: