Sinn Féin Senator Trevor O’Clochartaigh has said this week that Mayo County Council will be out pocket by a tune of €691,776 this year because of a national agreement on rates recalculations.
Speaking this week Senator O’Clochartaigh said: "Last year the Government reviewed the rates being paid by companies with a presence in multiple counties, such as Gas Networks Ireland, Eircom, Vodafone, Iarnród Éireann and others, under what was called a global valuation of rates, which meant these companies made rates payments nationally as oppose to paying the city and county councils
"‘The local authorities were then partly compensated by the Government for the loss of rates revenue, up to 72 per cent of what they previously received from the companies. Minister Simon Coveney has now stated however, that there will be no such compensation for local authorities for next year.
"‘According to figures released to my Sinn Féin colleague Maurice Quinlivan TD, in the case of Mayo County Council will be down by €691,776 as well. A trend which was predicted by Sinn Féin senator Rose Conway Walsh over a year ago.
"It is outrageous to think that the Minister with responsibility for local authorities, Simon Coveney, is taking even more money away from them, resulting in increased taxes for citizens while profitable companies pay less and less. He should be making the case with the Minister of Finance for extra local authority funding to ensure the public the level of service they deserve."
