Rate Payers Cannot Fund Shortfall

Article Added: 2010/11/22

 

Clonmel Chamber has stated that commercial rate payers should not be made to bear the brunt of any shortfall in funding to councils from central government.

 

The call comes ahead of the budgets from both South Tipperary and Clonmel Borough Councils.

 

Chamber President, Tina Mulhearne, said “Councils need to be creative and look at where they can achieve efficiencies. The Local Government Efficiency Review Group report stated that there were up to €500 million of efficiencies to be achieved in local authorities throughout Ireland. If these suggestions were acted upon, we believe that there would be sufficient scope to fund a potential shortfall and to reduce commercial rates”.

 

She added “We have held meetings with Councillors and executives at both councils and we have put forward our views that commercial rates need to be reduced. This is a difficult time for all businesses and there needs to be an acknowledgement of the harshness of the business environment. This is not the time to ask commercial rate payers to fund a shortfall in central government funds”.

 

Clonmel Chamber are continuing to meet with elected representatives in advance of the budgets for both South Tipperary County Council and Clonmel Borough Council.

 

 

 

Established in 2009 to review the cost base, expenditure of and numbers employed in local authorities, the members of the group were:

·         Pat McLoughlin, Chief Executive, Irish Payment Services Organisation and former Deputy Chief Executive of the HSE (Chairperson)

·         Donal McNally, Second Secretary General, Department of Finance;

·         John O’Hagan, Professor of Economics, Trinity College;

·         John Quinlivan, former County Manager;

·         Ian Talbot, Chief Executive, Chambers Ireland; and

·         Geraldine Tallon, Secretary General, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.