URGENT MEETING SOUGHT OVER CITY RATES

Date Published: 19-Nov-2011

The Mayor of Galway and the City Manager are to request an urgent meeting with the Minister for the Environment about commercial rates in the city.

Councillor Donal Lyons says that the owners of properties in the city, which are vacant, don't have to pay rates to the City Council.

However in cities such as Dublin, Cork and Limerick, property owners are required to pay half of the commercial rate even if the premises is vacant.

At this week's city council meeting, a Statutory Audit Report revealed that rates collected during 2010 dropped by €910,000.

The city council had to write off €4.7 million, while arrears climbed to €14.5 million.

The city manager Joe O'Neill said in the report that representations were made to Government to amend the laws regarding refunds from vacant premises.

A motion by Councillor Lyons urging a meeting with Minister Phil Hogan was unanimously passed.