Levies exemption proposal to encourage industry

CLARE County Council has been asked to exempt depopulated areas of West Clare from charges for industrial and commercial development. 
At the next West Clare Electoral Area meeting, Councillor PJ Kelly will put forward a motion requesting that Section 48 levies be amended. Councillor Kelly is also to raise the matter again at the next county council meeting and, in fact, says that he has already done so.
“I raised this matter before at council level. I raised it on the grounds that levies were prohibiting development. If we exempted people from levies and if the business went ahead, at least we’d have the rates off them. The senior people in the council opposed it at the time. However, the manager made an announcement, I think it was at the December meeting, when the Shannon Airport rescue plan was revealed. He said that he was delighted to have made my recommendation to the Shannon project. He said it was welcomed. He has now given an undertaking to Shannon Airport that they will be exempt from levies,” the Lissycasey councillor stated.
“It would be discriminatory to allow it for Shannon airport and to charge the rest of the county. What I want to do is amend Section 48 levies indefinitely in order to encourage development during a recessionary period. I think that makes sense,” he added, noting most levies are concerned with planning charges.
“The sooner we have a bit of a business ethos the better. We’re gaining nothing because nobody is developing but if we allow them to develop without a charge, then we’ll get the rates off them. We’re not obliged to have levies under Section 48 but we’re empowered to have levies. There’s a subtle difference. The legislation says ‘may’. It doesn’t say ‘shall’,” Councillor Kelly added.