Market Place in crisis as Tipp Council takes in 30 million in Rates – McGrath

Independent TD Mattie McGrath has called on the CEO of Tipperary County Council Joe MacGrathto initiate an immediate review of the sustainability of commercial rates for business in County Tipperary. Deputy McGrath was speaking after the closure of SuperValu at Market Place has once again thrown the spotlight on to the punitive level of rates applicable to Tipperary’s business owners:

“I have asked the CEO to clarify if he believes that the current Commercial Rates system which is operative in places like Clonmel and across the County is fair and sustainable.

The fact that the Tipperary County Council took in €30 million in rates in 2015 alone would suggest that the Council is the only one receiving the benefit from such vast sums.

The local businesses are certainly not feeling the benefit in terms of the onerous and punitive level of rates that they have to pay regardless of economic circumstance.

In his reply to a Parliamentary Question I placed almost two weeks ago, Minister Kelly informed me that he had no plans to change the commercial rate system.

What this apparently means is that it is down to our local authorities to make the call.

The Minister informs me that he has asked the Councils to restrain costs on businesses while at the same time he is unwilling to alter the legislative basis for the current rates set up which is the root of the problem!

This is farcical and is merely an attempt to displace responsibility. The CEO will say the commercial rates law is clear while the Minister will say the Councils have discretion.

In the meantime businesses in Tipperary continue to suffer as they pay rates equivalent to the most expensive street in Dublin!

We need root and branch reform of the rates system and the immediate introduction of a more just system of scaling the costs to meet the capacity to pay,” concluded Deputy McGrath.