Call for local councils to waive community rates

Rates:Longford county councillor Séamus Butler suggested that members of local authorities should use their powers to waive rates on community and owner-operated childcare facilities.

Mr Butler said during the environment debate that as a councillor he realised that his colleagues and himself had limited powers.

"However, thanks to the Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, I have discovered that apart from striking our annual rate we can also also waiver all, or a portion, of the rates for any specified class of ratepayer.

"This is a reserved function under Section 21 of the Local Government Rates Act 1970. This came as startling news to my own local authority, Longford County Council, who maintained that waiving rates was solely an executive function."

He had fought a battle for more than a year to get his motion passed to waive rates on community and owner-operated childcare facilities. Such an initiative would mean obvious benefits to a sector meaning so much to families and communities, both local and national.

Mr Butler urged fellow councillors among the delegates to put down a motion waiving all rates on community and owner-operated child facilities.

Mr Roche said local councillors did not often enough use the powers entrusted to them. "Local authority members have significant powers and should inform themselves of them."

Ciarán O'Connell (Dublin South Central) suggested that the State had been too short-sighted on the issue of climate change and needed to change. He said that a climate and energy change Bill, investing heavily in technology, should be introduced.

"We have to show that there will be money to follow going green. People and businesses should be allowed to offset some of their tax bill for going green. This measure would encourage businesses and people to respect the natural limits and resources of this earth. In my opinion, it would start a green revolution among the people of this island."

Mr O'Connell also said the Government should establish a committee, independent of politics, to oversee its commitment to climate and energy change and to report annually on progress. This committee would be independent of politics to achieve what the politicians cannot."

Tristan Nettaway (Galway West) advocated greater road maintenance in rural areas.

He said Fianna Fáil looked to the future "and it is to this end, in line with our transport plans, we must simultaneously look to the maintenance of our rural roads to keep them in line with the new motorways being constructed."