Rates waiver scheme implementation
The Minister listed 15 local authorities that had not adopted rates waiver schemes and said an extra £2 million was intended to encourage wider implementation. He rejected making the scheme compulsory, urged local authorities to act, and said the allocation details were not final but might be based on £1 of Exchequer support for each £1 waived, with costs expected to become clearer within about two months.
asked the Minister for Local Government the local authorities which are not implementing the rates waiver scheme.
Comment on this
Last year 15 of the 87 rating authorities did not adopt rates waiver schemes. These were the county councils of Carlow, Kildare, Leitrim, Mayo and Roscommon and the urban district councils of Athy, Ballinasloe, Bundoran, Carlow, Castlebar, Clonakilty, Ennis, Kilrush, Naas and Skibbereen.
The position should be very much improved this year as a consequence of the Government's decision to provide an extra £2 million to improve and extend the existing system of rates waivers and to encourage those local authorities which have so far failed to operate a scheme to do so in 1977. In the light of the Exchequer contribution I am hoping that all authorities will implement rates waiver schemes this year.
Comment on this
A promise about these things given after 16 years in office when they did nothing does not count for anything.
Comment on this
As far as the rates waiver scheme is concerned, I believe the local authorities, the elected representatives of the people, should administer it, and I am appealing to them to put into operation a rates waiver scheme now that they are getting £2 million from the Government to do it.
Comment on this
How does the Minister propose to allocate this extra £2 million, or is there a time limit within which local authorities will have to apply?
Comment on this
Anybody applying to the local authorities for a rates waiver must have their arrangements made fairly quickly, and I would assume— I cannot give the Deputy the exact details—that within about two months we should know precisely what rates waiver is being offered and how much Exchequer money will be required to meet the cost of giving the rates waiver. I would also assume—and again I do not want to be tied to this— the fairest way would be to give £ for £ for rates waiver to any local authority.