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Tag Archives: commercial rates

Lack of urgency around affordable housing possibility slammed

WITH a major shortage of housing in the town, Councillor Gerry Flynn queried what is holding up the delivery of an affordable housing scheme for the town, at Tuesday’s meeting of Shannon Municipal District meeting. It has recently emerged that Ennis and Shannon are not ineligible for affordable housing schemes, although rural parts of the county are. At this week’s meeting Councillor Flynn put forward a motion asking that the Council “urgently submit an application for funding to the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien for the development of a scheme of affordable housing in Shannon to support the lower to middle income earners that want to purchase their own homes locally”. A written response to the motion was put before the meeting, for the Council’s Director of Service Anne Haugh, which said that the local authority needs advice from the Department on what to do. “Clare County Council initiated engagement with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in …

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Clare Council rates arrears climbs €1.6m to €11.6m

Council finances holding steady despite impact of Covid-19 on its income streams THE total arrears in commercial rates owed to Clare County Council increased by almost €1.6 million to under €11.6 million last December, a new report has revealed. The total amount of uncollected rates on December 31, 2020 was €11.577 million, according to a report on the council’s unaudited annual financial statement for the year ended December 31, 2020. The report, which will be presented to councillors at the May local authority, stated the opening arrears on January 1, 2020 was €10,043,132 and the rates’ bill issued for 2020 was €44,715,390. Official figures showed the amounts collected, vacant or written off came to €29,605,485, while the Covid-19 commercial rates waiver was €13,674,497. Arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of restrictions on businesses, the Council implemented a range of business supports for customers. These supports included €39.06 million in the restart grant, restart grant plus, Local Enterprise Office …

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Economic taskforce to tackle impact of Covid-19

AN ECONOMIC taskforce is to be set up to address the massive financial impact of the coronavirus on Clare economy, which the council’s CEO has likened to that of a “juggernaut”. Members of the local authority were updated on the measure, as they gave unanimous backing to a cross-party motion to freeze commercial rates for the duration of the crisis. At their monthly meeting, councillors heard that the authority anticipates a hit this year of €19.7 million. They agreed that central government must compensate for this loss. Calling for “a complete freeze on the collection and charging of commercial rates… for the duration of this pandemic and for a time after at the very least,” Councillor Mary Howard said business owners were distraught. She also called for a “mandatory fund” from central government to compensate councils. “I’ve been getting calls from tearful people who didn’t know when they would be able to re-open their business,” she said. “Some still don’t …

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council faces €19.7 million deficit

CLARE County Council is facing a potential deficit of €19.7 million as a result of the collapse in economic activity due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it emerged this week. Deputy Cathal Crowe has called on the government to intervene with additional funding to prevent the need for the local authority to request businesses to pay commercial rates next August. Even though local businesses have got a three-month commercial rates payment deferral, Deputy Crowe believes the government needs to address this issue to avoid a situation where the council will be seeking rates that are already owed. The Meelick Deputy said it is unfair to pubs and restaurants to be paying full commercial rates next Autumn. He pointed out a lot of the council’s expenditure can’t be cut because one of its biggest outlays is its wage bill. If the council has to reduce expenditure, he expressed fears that works on capital projects such as roads will have to be scaled …

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Councillors support rates increase in Ennis and Kilrush

BUSINESSES in Ennis and Kilrush will be hit by a hike in the commercial rate for the third consecutive year, after a majority of Clare county councillors supported the council’s controversial policy of rates harmonisation. Despite opposition from Ennis councillors and Kilrush Councillor Ian Lynch, rates harmonisation was supported by 17 votes to eight. Councillors also voted to approve the 2018 Budget Estimates by 17 votes to eight, after a two and a half hour meeting. Councillor Pat Hayes proposed the adoption of the estimates and this was seconded by Councillor Joe Cooney. According to the council, the latest increase amounts to 2.66% in Ennis in the annual rateable value and 3.94% in Kilrush. Chief executive officer Pat Dowling outlined that the Local Government Reform Act 2014 set out a process whereby the differences in rates multipliers between the former towns and the former county area have to be eliminated over time. This process commenced in 2016. At the same …

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Council owed €21m in commercial rates

CLARE County Council is owed close to €21 million in commercial rates, latest figures have confirmed. The figures also show that as well as the €20,995,000 outstanding for rates as of September 30, other monies owed to the council are €8.25m in development contributions, €1.65m in housing loans and rents, €629,000 in fire charges, €426,000 in LEO refundable aid and €1.5m for other charges. The details were released at this week’s meeting of the local authority on foot of a request by Councillor Michael Hillery, who described the amounts as “frightening”. “I know we are going through a recession and there are people availing of the council’s payment plans, but there are people out there who have money are not paying,” he said. He called on the Government to give councils the power to collect outstanding debts. “The council cannot carry on with debts like this, they have to be collected.” Niall Barrett, head of finance, commented, “In 2015, the …

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IBEC seeks greater support from councils

The new Ibec Mid West and Kerry president, Pat Keating has said doing business locally should be less taxing and the Mid West’s local authorities should support local economic growth. In an outline of the commercial rates paid in the region, he said Clare businesses paid €42 million or 39% of the local authority budget. Mr Keating, who is CEO of Shannon Foynes Port Company, was elected for a two-year term at Ibec’s Mid West AGM held in the Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick this week. He said, “Businesses are the main source of income for our three local authorities. Commercial rates hit SMEs hardest because they generally represent the four biggest outlay for small businesses, after labour costs and rents. In the Mid West, local business pays €156 million or nearly 29% of the combined budget for region.” The breakdown of commercial rates paid by local business for each authority area in the Mid West is: Limerick: €54 million or …

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Valuation Bill worry for sports clubs

The Government’s Valuation Bill, which was debated in the Seanad this week, will see voluntary sports clubs forced to pay commercial rates, while trying to generate an income, a Fianna Fáil senator has claimed. Senator Mark Daly commented, “The Valuation Act, which was brought forward in the Dáil by my colleague, Deputy Barry Cowen, was designed to reduce unfair rates by limiting the charges to premises serviced by a bar. However, an amendment introduced by Minister of State Simon Harris will see sports clubs charged rates on income generated from areas other bars. This could see organisations forced to pay commercial rates for renting out sports halls, meeting rooms or other facilities. “I am urging the Government to reconsider its amendment, which goes much further than the original legislation was intended. While I believe that rates should be paid on the bar areas in these clubs, the imposition of rates on other facilities, which are essential revenue raising tools for …

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