Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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116. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of commercial rates valuation appeals awaiting a result in 2020 and to date in 2021; the average waiting time for such appeals; the measures he plans to put in place to alleviate the situation in view of a continuing high backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26721/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Valuation Tribunal is an independent appeal body established and operating under the Valuation Acts of 1988 and 2001. It deals with appeals against decisions of the Commissioner of Valuation on the valuation of commercial properties for rating purposes and appeals against determinations of market value on derelict sites or vacant sites made by local authorities under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 and the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015.

While the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted on how the Valuation Tribunal conducts its business, a number of measures have been put in place to support the Valuation Tribunal in its service delivery. These measures include an increasing use of document-based appeals, remote hearings and pre-engagement procedures between parties with a view to agreeing substantive issues without recourse to a full hearing of the appeal.

I understand from the Valuation Tribunal that it has a total of 2,077 appeals on hand.