David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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202. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the consideration which is being given by his Department to rebalance the burden of commercial rates between large multinationals and SMEs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29650/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Local authorities are required by legislation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015.  The annual rate on valuation (ARV), which is applied to the valuation for each property determined by the Valuation Office to obtain the amount payable in rates, is decided by the elected members of each local authority in the annual budget and its determination is a reserved function.

As the amount of rates payable is largely determined by an independent valuation of the premises occupied by the ratepayer, there is no unfair burden on any category of ratepayer.