Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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227. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will confirm that the Valuation Office has instructed all local authorities to reduce the rateable valuation on energy and telecommunications infrastructure commencing in 2016; the rationale behind this judgment. [40118/15]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The position in relation to the global valuation of public utility undertakings is that the Commissioner of Valuation has recently carried out a further valuation of seven utilities as required by section 53(6) of the Valuation Act 2001, as amended by the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015.  The Commissioner is independent in the exercise of his functions in this regard, by virtue of section 9(10) of the 2001 Act.

These utilities, or their predecessors, were first valued in 2005 and subsequently valued in 2010. In line with the 5-yearly cycle prescribed by section 53(6) of the Act of 2001, the Commissioner has recently completed the 2015 valuations for these seven utilities. The changes reflected in the 2015 valuations arise from changes in the value of each of the respective undertakings since last valued in 2010.

The basis of valuation of all rateable property throughout the State is "Net Annual Value", as defined in section 48 of the Act. This applies to both public utility undertakings valued on a global basis and conventional rateable properties such as shops, offices and industrial facilities operated by businesses.  The global valuation process is also deployed in other common law jurisdictions and is an efficient mechanism for valuing public utility undertakings with a national or regional network on a five year cycle.