Cork City Council has taken “serious” issue with a judge over his comments about its policy on rates and insists it was well aware of the economic difficulties facing business people.
Speaking in Cork District Court this week, Judge Olann Kelleher said there was a link between high rates and shop and office closures in Cork. He made his comments when dealing with 170 summonses issued by the city council against businesses that had failed to pay rates in 2012.
City manager Tom Lucey said yesterday the council was “acutely aware of the current economic circumstances” in which businesses operate.
He said it operated a reasonable and flexible approach to collecting rates.
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