Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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49. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the current rates waiver will be extended; and the measures being taken by his Department to ensure any extension will not have an impact on the budget for Fingal County Council. [22878/21]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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89. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the operation of commercial rates waivers for local businesses as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic; if the waiver will be extended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22880/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 89 together.

Given the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and the associated public health restrictions, and in order to continue supporting ratepayers and local authorities, the Government introduced a commercial rates waiver for the first half of 2021. This waiver applies to businesses most seriously affected by ongoing restrictions.

The 2021 commercial rates waiver is necessarily more targeted than was the case with the nine month waiver in 2020. Automatic eligibility is extended to retail, hospitality including hotels, pubs and restaurants, leisure and entertainment, personal services such as hairdressers and barbers, health services and various other categories. In recognition of the fact that there may be ratepayers excluded from the waiver that were severely impacted by the pandemic, it includes a provision that ratepayers not automatically eligible may engage directly with their local authorities, to demonstrate serious financial impact. In such circumstances ratepayers that are not automatically eligible, may also qualify. These applications are being reviewed by local authorities on a case by case basis.

The processing of the 2020 commercial rates waiver has been completed. My Department recouped a total of €729m to local authorities in respect of rates waived in 2020. The administration by local authorities of the 2021 waiver for the first half of this year is ongoing.

As with all public health measures and associated supports, the waiver of commercial rates will be kept under review. As has been the case since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department will continue to engage with the local government sector and with individual local authorities on the financial impacts of the pandemic.