Frankie Feighan
Sligo-Leitrim · Fine Gael · Ireland
“Among patients reviewed after 12 months of treatment, there was an 88% reduction in episodes of cellulitis, an 80% reduction in hospitalisations associated with cellulitis, significant reductions in GP and public health nurse visits, and reduced demand on both acute and community services.”
“This will deliver an additional 263 positions to the service and will particularly help to support capacity building in our front-line emergency services.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this important matter in the House. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I am aware of the issues raised by the Senator. He will appreciate that neither I nor the HSE can comment on any individual case.”
“I can confirm to the Seanad that we are currently progressing development of a third HEMS to serve the west and north west regions, including the mid-west, and planning for the new HEMS is well advanced.”
“In my opening statement, I focused mainly on aeromedical services in Ireland, particularly the helicopter emergency medical resourcing, HEMS, to provide access to emergency patient care for the people of the mid-west region, including west Clare.”
“On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, I thank Senator Conway for the opportunity to update the House on the delivery of aeromedical services for the people of west Clare and the surrounding area.”
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“All of this is done with inclusion and accessibility as the guiding principles in order to ensure that no one is left behind. The better public services programme involves a clear and explicit commitment to redesigning public services around the needs of users in order to ensure that services work equally well for both people who engage digitally and those who do not. We want to bring in all the stakeholders and try to make things as easy as possible for people across the country, especially older people.”
“We all have issues, and the Deputy has rightly articulated the issue relating to his area being included. If we look at it from a positive point of view, I understand that NBI is ahead of schedule. However, there are a few areas in respect of which we may need to contact NBI. We talk about public infrastructure. This is public infrastructure that is ahead of what was planned for. Enabling access to public services is very important to the Government as we work together to accelerate transformational change in how we deliver public services. We are trying to digitalise public services and the Department is taking the life events approach, as outlined in the digital public services plan. We want to reorient the service around key moments in people's lives and ensure a more proactive approach by the Government in providing services.”
“We are in a much better place when we look at the roll-out of the national broadband service. Deputy Moynihan will see it in his constituency, even in the context of small houses or people working from home. This is the way forward, but we need to include everyone in order that no one will be left behind.”
“National Broadband Ireland, NBI, has passed almost 460,000 homes, farms and businesses in rural Ireland, with 170,000 connected to high-speed broadband. Our approach is very clear. We are digital by desire as opposed to digital by default. As part of the service design and delivery, we actively consider the needs of all people, including older people. Part of the dialogue in the Department is to consider the needs of people, including older people and those who are not confident using digital channels. To that end, we examine the use of blended and complementary channels and support, building on the work we are already doing to increase accessibility, for example, through our public libraries network, which is a nationwide service that continues to provide support for digital inclusion and literacy activities at its branches.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 23 together. The Government's better public services strategy commits to delivering inclusive, high-quality and integrated public services that meet people's needs and improve the delivery of services. The Digital Public Services Plan 2030 advances this ambition by embedding a life events methodology whereby services are designed around moments in people's lives, for example, the birth of a child and supporting the bereaved, rather than administrative structures. With regard to the issues raised, there has been significant progress in digital infrastructure with the roll-out of the national broadband plan, which, I am sure they will agree, has been a huge success, and broadband for schools and related supporting programmes such as the public library strategy.”
“The Bill, First Stage of which will commence shortly, reflects the vital role of pre-legislative scrutiny in our legislative process. The Bill takes account of many of the committee's recommendations and is stronger and more robust for it. I know that the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, looks forward to working with the committee to bring the Bill through the legislative process to enactment.”
“The provisions of the Bill are intended to be complementary and reinforcing. With regard to value for money, while the Comptroller and Auditor General will be auditing RTÉ's accounts on an annual basis, we are also strengthening the role of Coimisiún na Meán in assessing the annual performance of RTÉ and TG4 against the statutory public service remit. On transparency, RTÉ will be required to publish information not only on the remuneration of staff and contractors but also on the cost of commissioning from the independent sector, including information on the contribution made to commissioning costs across the public sector. On accountability, Coimisiún na Meán, rather than RTÉ and TG4 themselves, will now ultimately determine the performance commitments of our public service providers and will hold them to account for that performance.”
“The reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the annual financial statements of RTÉ and the direct accountability of the director general to the Committee of Public Accounts are central to the reform of RTÉ. The Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, is therefore hoping to progress the Bill and commence the relevant sections as quickly as possible to provide the necessary authority to the Comptroller and Auditor General to audit RTÉ's 2026 financial statements. However, as the extensive pre-legislative scrutiny report of the committee attests, this legislation is far-reaching and intended to comprehensively address transparency, accountability and value for money in our public service media providers and support for public interest journalism and quality programming more generally.”
“As Deputies are aware, airplay quotas based on the nationality of a musician are contrary to European law. As an alternative, the Bill provides express authority to Coimisiún na Meán to make media services codes to promote a diversity of music composed or performed by persons with a connection with the island of Ireland on radio. It also provides that the codes include provisions to measure the level of diversity, which will enable us all to assess how radio broadcasters are performing in showcasing Irish musicians. The main focus of the national reaction to the broadcasting (amendment) Bill has been on the appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General as auditor of RTÉ. This is understandable given the events of the past week.”
“The Bill also provides that the Broadcasting Fund will remain Ciste na Meán rather than the media fund, as recommended by the committee. Given that the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act was enacted only three and a half years ago, the Bill includes limited provisions for media regulation, focusing instead on ensuring that Coimisiún na Meán has sufficient powers to ensure the online safety framework and sufficient powers in bringing RTÉ's and TG4's non-broadcast content under the ambit of media service duties and codes. However, there is one area I would like to take the opportunity to highlight. The committee recommended that provision be made in the Bill for the monitoring, reporting and setting of targets relating to airplay for Irish musicians on radio, including diversity of musical forms, artists and experience.”
“In that context and in line with the recommendations of the committee, the Bill now provides for specific reference to ensuring membership of the councils of those who are under-served by virtue of a disability. The Bill is intended to provide a robust legislative foundation for the growth in Irish-language programming and journalism. Central to this is a requirement that a minimum of 25% of funding disbursed through media schemes must be made available for Irish-language content. The committee made six recommendations aimed at further promoting the Irish language in the media sector, five of which the Minister has addressed directly in the Bill. In particular, the review of public service content undertaken by Coimisiún na Meán will now specifically include a review of public service content provision in the Irish language.”
“Eight of the committee's recommendations have been addressed through the broadcasting (amendment) Bill. In particular, the Bill now requires that RTÉ and TG4 must respond to every annual report prepared by an audience council, in addition to any special report. An audience council plays a role structurally distinct from that of Coimisiún na Meán as regulator, adding an additional and different level of accountability. The Bill clearly provides for those three separate and distinct roles. In addition to strengthening the independence of the audience councils, the Bill seeks to ensure they are representative of the people of the island of Ireland, including certain under-served audiences, such as those who may be under-served by virtue of their age or where they live.”
“I thank Deputy Byrne for her contribution this evening. It reflects the level of scrutiny already undertaken of the provisions of the broadcasting (amendment) Bill. In my opening statement, I did not have the opportunity to discuss some of the areas raised by the committee in the pre-legislative scrutiny report, so I will turn to those first. The committee made 12 recommendations relating to the audience councils of RTÉ and TG4. The audience councils play an important role in representing the views of the people of the island of Ireland to the boards of RTÉ and TG4 in respect of the activities of the providers. The Bill will expand the role of the audience councils by providing for the independence of the audience councils of RTÉ and TG4 and the selection of members of both councils by Coimisiún na Meán following a public competition.”
“As we have been reminded this past week, to be effective our public service media providers must be trusted. This requires that they, in particular RTÉ, be open and transparent and demonstrate the very highest standards in corporate governance. The broadcasting (amendment) Bill will fundamentally reform the governance and regulation of RTÉ and provide a legislative foundation for RTÉ to rebuild the trust of the public. Once again, I pay tribute to the work of the committee, which is demonstrated by the incorporation of many of its recommendations into the Bill.”
“The Bill also provides for the responsibility of the director general, as editor in chief, to put in place a statement of principles and procedures to ensure high standards in its content and for compliance with the media services duties set out in law, such as fairness, impartiality and objectivity in news and current affairs. Both RTÉ and TG4 will continue to be accountable to Coimisiún na Meán, as regulator, for their adherence to these duties and any media service codes made by Coimisiún na Meán. As public service media providers, RTÉ and TG4 are an essential part of the democratic, social and cultural life of our country. They play a vital role in providing programming that informs, educates and entertains, and in acting as sources of trustworthy and reliable information for the public.”
“It is particularly important that RTÉ, as a State body, adheres fully to these laws and guidelines. I will address the recommendation that the Bill provide explicit clarity that the restriction on directors general to comment on policy matters at the public accounts committee. It is without prejudice to their editorial independence as directors general. In response to this recommendation and as a general approach, the editorial independence of the directors general as editor-in-chief has been significantly expanded and clarified in the Bill. At the same time, their accountability as chief executive officers for the administration of the providers to their board and to the Committee of Public Accounts has been strengthened.”
“However, the approval of the Minister and Minister for public expenditure will still be required to determine the remuneration and terms and conditions of employment of a director general. The committee made nine recommendations in respect of corporate governance. A number of these related to matters already covered by employment law or the code of practice on determining employment status are not appropriate for media legislation. However, I emphasise that RTÉ must comply with all applicable employment, tax and social protection law. We have strong protections in law in this country and the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social Protection and the Workplace Relations Commission have issued clear guidelines in their respective areas.”
“The reform of the legislative underpinning for the governance of RTÉ and TG4 is at the core of the Bill. The functions and duties of the boards of RTÉ and TG4 will be strengthened in accordance with recommendations of Professor Niamh Brennan's expert advisory committee. This will include a specific function to put in place arrangements for the management and accountability of the directors general in their capacity as chief executive officers of the public service media providers. The Bill also provides for expanded functions and duties of, and accountability provisions for, the directors general of RTÉ and TG4. It also sets out the process for their appointment and dismissal in detail. In accordance with the European Media Freedom Act, the Government will no longer have a role in consenting to the appointment of a director general.”
“The European Commission typically describes the additionality principle as requiring any state aid to change the behaviour of recipients in such a way that they carry out an activity that they would not carry out without the aid. Departmental officials set out the current technical position in a note to the committee in July 2025. There are very limited circumstances in which a scheme which supports the existing activities of the commercial sector would be compliant with state aid rules. Notwithstanding the complexities of designing such a scheme and difficulties of securing approval at EU level, we do not want to rule out the possibility in our domestic legislation. For that reason, the Bill now provides that schemes which support existing content may be funded from Ciste na Meán, in line with the recommendation of the committee.”
“One of the key objectives of the Bill is to ensure and enable the support of a diversity of providers. To that end, and in line with the committee's recommendations, the Bill now specifies that Coimisiún na Meán may introduce funding schemes to promote the development of community broadcasters. Funding has already been secured for specific supports for community media, with an Exchequer allocation of €1 million in budget 2026. I am conscious that there was an extensive discussion during the pre-legislative scrutiny of the requirement for additionality in media funding schemes and whether State support could be provided to fund existing activities undertaken by commercial media. This requirement stems from state aid rules and domestic guidance on the appraisal and implementation of public expenditure set out in the public spending code.”
“In line with the committee's recommendation, this review will now specifically include a review of public service content provision in the Irish language. It will also contain recommendations to Government on measures which could increase the supply of public service content. Receiving both reports together will facilitate a coherent response that takes into consideration the funding needs of RTÉ and TG4 and the support needed to ensure the commercial sector provides sufficient public service content and, in particular, public interest journalism. The Bill further takes into account the committee's recommendations by requiring that both triennial reviews are submitted to Government no latter than six weeks after the annual budget and Estimates.”
“In particular, I highlight that the Bill will now align the triennial appraisal of the performance and funding of RTÉ and TG4 by Coimisiún na Mean with the triennial review of public service content, so that the reviews will cover the years 2028 to 2030. Coimisiún na Mean will now submit both reports on 30 June 2027. The triennial appraisal of RTÉ and TG4 will identify the performance commitments, outputs, associated financial inputs, performance indicators and metrics which shall apply to RTÉ and TG4 for each three-year period and include a funding recommendation to Government on that basis. The triennial review of public service content will assess the position regarding the supply of such content on a national, regional and local basis by the wider sector.”
“In terms of the remaining 17 recommendations, seven were considered more appropriate to legislation which has horizontal effect across many sectors, such as employment, tax, social insurance and copyright law. It was decided not to accept ten of the recommendations. On the media funding schemes and the assessment of the performance and funding of RTÉ and TG4, in terms of the specifics of the committee's recommendations, 17 related to the funding of the wider media sector and 11 related to the assessment of RTÉ and TG4 by Coimisiún na Meán. Thirteen of these have been addressed through the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill.”
“The Minister provided a summary of this analysis to the Cathaoirleach in February and set out his intentions regarding the recommendations at that time. Following the publication of the Bill on Tuesday, the Minister wrote to the Cathaoirleach to provide an update. In summary, the Minister considered that 68 of the recommendations made by the committee can be or already have been implemented. Of these, 34 have been incorporated in the Bill, with one recommendation to be addressed on Committee Stage and a further recommendation to be considered at that point following further analysis. Eleven recommendations can be implemented administratively by the Department, RTÉ, TG4 or Coimisiún na Meán, as appropriate, and 21 recommendations are already implemented in broadcasting legislation or were covered in the general scheme of the Bill.”
“Following its establishment in May 2025, the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, submitted the revised general scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill to the Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport for pre-legislative scrutiny. As I said, I recognise the extensive consultation undertaken by the committee in its work. Each of the 85 recommendations in the pre-legislative scrutiny report reflects the serious approach adopted by the committee in carrying out its task. On receipt of the report of the committee, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport carried out an analysis of each recommendation to assess whether it could be provided for in the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill in the course of detailed drafting.”
“In terms of regulatory powers, Coimisiún na Meán already has extensive powers to require information from a provider following the opening of a formal investigation. Outside of investigations and as part of its supervisory function, it also has the power to require, by notice in writing, a regulated provider to provide Coimisiún na Meán with information relating to compliance with the online safety code. The Bill will extend this information-gathering power to require regulated entities to provide information related to compliance with other elements of the online safety framework and media service codes and rules.”
“For that reason, the Bill will convert the existing broadcasting fund to a platform-neutral fund known as Ciste na Meán, which will support the production, distribution and archiving of public service content across all formats by the wider media sector. This will ensure an enduring legislative basis for the continuing provision of high-quality programming and print journalism across our country. The Bill will also require RTÉ to allocate 25% of its public funding to commission audiovisual and audio programming from the independent sector. This target will no longer be confined to broadcast material but will also cover podcasts and audiovisual programming to be made available on the on-demand player.”
“Fourth, the Bill will strengthen the role and independence of the audience councils of RTÉ and TG4. Fifth, media service duties and codes that currently apply to broadcast content, such as those which apply to fairness, impartiality and objectivity in news and current affairs, will be applied to non-broadcast content. The Bill is not only about public service media providers. We need diverse journalism and programming to be provided by diverse providers locally, regionally and nationally. In our digital age and to reach the widest audiences, public service content cannot be confined to any single medium.”
“A key element of this will be the assignment of the Comptroller and Auditor General as auditor of RTÉ to carry out annual audits of their financial statements and, where the Comptroller and Auditor General considers it appropriate, a value for money examination. The Bill will also make the director general of RTÉ directly accountable to the Committee of Public Accounts for RTÉ’s annual finance statements and value for money matters. Second, the Bill will enhance the framework for assessing the performance and funding of RTÉ and TG4 by providing Coimisiún na Mean with greater authority to identify performance targets and hold RTÉ and TG4 to account for their performance. Third, the Bill will provide a legislative basis for greater transparency in respect of the anonymised reporting of remuneration by RTÉ and TG4.”
“The Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, obtained Government approval to publish the Bill on Tuesday. The Bill meets a key programme for Government commitment to enact new legislation to reform the corporate governance model of RTÉ. The Bill also implements the key legislative recommendations of the report of the Future of Media Commission, transposes those elements of the European Media Freedom Act that relate to safeguarding of the independence of public service media and implements the legislative recommendations of the expert advisory committee on governance and culture in RTÉ, chaired by Professor Niamh Brennan. Taken as a whole, the Bill will enhance transparency, accountability and value for money in RTÉ and TG4 across five different areas. First, it will reform the statutory basis underpinning the corporate governance of RTÉ.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis an tuarascáil ghrinnscrúdaithe réamhreachtach ar scéim ghinearálta athbhreithnithe an Bhille craolacháin (leasú) a phlé tráthnóna. Ar an gcéad dul síos, tugaim aitheantas don méid oibre atá déanta ag an gcoiste agus an tuarascáil seo á hullmhú. Ba mhaith liom aitheantas a thabhairt freisin don rannpháirtíocht fhairsing agus chuiditheach a bhí ag an gcoiste le páirtithe leasmhara. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the pre-legislative scrutiny report of the revised general scheme of the broadcasting (amendment) Bill. I would like to acknowledge the amount of work the committee has done in preparing the report. I would also like to recognise the extensive and constructive engagement the committee had with key stakeholders. I thank Deputy Byrne for her submission and informative contribution.”
“A lot is being done and these new grants will certainly help bring over-the-shop houses back into play. The other grants for refurbishing older buildings have certainly helped. As I said, there have been 17,400 grants paid in the past six or seven years. We are in a better place but we need to do a lot more.”
“Three of us lived over the shop. There was no back door and there were 100 people on the street and 100 people on the other street. It was the same in every town and village in the country. It is galling to see that a lot of properties have fallen into disrepair. From a planning point of view, people did not want to live over a shop. The new €95,000 grant for over-the-shop living is going to be a major benefit and will help bring those town and village centres into play. People will also get €5,000 for architect's fees. The measure has only started but I think it will make a big difference. I would love to see the towns and villages coming back into play, as has happened around Europe. Much of this housing is of a good quality and we need to do an awful lot more. I thank the Deputy for raising an issue that is close to my heart as well.”
“The Deputy rightly raised the issues and the range of measures being taken by the Government to address vacancy and dereliction, which are a huge success. Vacancy levels are declining. An historical level of funding has been made available and this significant investment, through schemes such as the urban regeneration development fund and the vacant property refurbishment grant, is having a serious impact, bringing vacant and derelict properties back to use and revitalising towns and villages across the country. The Government's new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030, reinforces and expands the range of existing measures being implemented by Government to tackle the issue of vacancy and dereliction. The Deputy is absolutely right. I grew up over a shop, a newsagent on a corner in Boyle, County Roscommon.”
“This is another issue we need to tackle but, again, a lot is being done by the local authorities, the Department of housing and all the agencies. I wish it had been done 15 or 20 years ago but a lot is happening. I thank Deputy Aird for his comments.”
“The programme requires local authorities to take a proactive and systematic approach to tackling vacancy and dereliction, identifying properties and engaging with their owners. Local authorities are encouraged to use their compulsory purchase powers if engagement is not successful, with funding available for them to do so. Support and guidance are provided to all local authorities in implementing the programme by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Housing Agency. These measures are proving effective in reducing vacancy levels and there is real momentum developing right across the country in bringing empty properties back into use as homes. The Deputy also talked about buildings being in probate.”
“The grant provides up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000. At the end of quarter 1 of 2026, 17,400 applications had been received for the grant, more than 13,000 approved and over 5,300 grants paid to date as refurbishment works have been completed, with a value of over €284 million. Another important programme changing how local authorities tackle this issue is the CPO activation programme.”
“A number of national structures have been established, including the dedicated vacant homes unit in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, a property optimisation unit in the Housing Agency and full-time vacant homes officers in each local authority. In addition, the Government's town centre first policy, introduced in 2022, provides a whole-of-government framework to address the decline in the health of towns and support measures to revitalise them. To drive the delivery of town centre first, dedicated town regeneration officers are now established within local authorities, working with vacant homes officers and other local authority staff, to tackle dereliction and develop regeneration initiatives. The vacant property refurbishment grant, introduced in July 2022, is making a huge difference across the country.”
“It is a blight on our cities, towns and villages and especially galling when we are under so much pressure to deliver housing for our people. A range of measures have been introduced, as the Deputy outlined, by the Government to address vacancy and dereliction. These include the vacant property refurbishment grant and the newly launched vacant above the shop grant and expert advice grant. These grants, coupled with the repair and leasing scheme, planning exemptions for the conversion of vacant commercial properties and the compulsory purchase order, CPO, activation programme, are all working to get as many vacant properties back into use as possible.”
“I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to update the Chamber on what is being done to address vacancy and dereliction. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne. The Deputy rightly said we want less bureaucracy and more assistance. Working to end dereliction and vacancy is a key priority of the Government's new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. The plan will ensure the activities and resources used to address vacancy and dereliction are co-ordinated and that legislative powers are used to make a serious impact on the level of dereliction and vacancy while also being a catalyst to revitalising communities.”
“While it is the Minister's Department, there is a case to have a look at how we rate properties. I was canvassing for the by-election in Connemara in the Gaeltacht area. It came up in a shop and we discussed it. They felt turnover might be better. I speak as an ex-retailer not a politician or Minister of State. I value the Deputy's views. Perhaps it is time to have that discussion again.”
“To clarify the position, regarding the basis for assessment of property for commercial rates, I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister, Deputy James Browne, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. While it is not my area, there are areas on which I agree with the Deputy. A lot has been done in updating but perhaps a lot more needs to be done because we are online now with Amazon, etc. The main street needs every support it can get. I was a retailer once. I had two or three retail businesses. Rates were always an issue along with many others. The assessment of NAV is grounded in analysis of the available market evidence at the valuation date. For the majority of properties such as retail units, offices and industrial units, rental evidence at or close to the valuation date is collected and analysed.”
“In some instances, the receipts and expenditure method of valuation, which relates to the turnover - or potential turnover - generated by a trading property, is particularly relevant in the assessment of NAV. In other cases particularly for highly specialised properties, a construction cost-based approach in accordance with the provisions of section 50 of the Act may be employed. For the majority of properties such as retail units, offices and industrial units, rental evidence at or close to the valuation date is collected and analysed to establish the appropriate valuation levels to be applied on a rate per square metre basis to similarly circumstanced properties. The rates have been evaluated since 2001. I have heard it myself on the ground that a lot of businesses are quite unsatisfied and that it should perhaps be on turnover.”
“Estimating the NAV of a rateable property, including determining the appropriate valuation methodology, is an evidence-based exercise. The floor area of a property is only one of many factors considered when arriving at a net annual value. During a revaluation, Tailte Éireann analyses relevant market rental transactions for all rateable properties in accordance with the legislation and well-established valuation principles as well as case law arising from the independent valuation tribunal and the higher courts. Various methodologies may be used in estimating the NAV, which is the rental value of a property. The most common methodology used is direct comparison with other similar properties which, by necessity, includes consideration of the floor areas.”
“The term "net annual value" has a legal definition and is set out in section 48 of the Act: The rent for which, one year with another, the property might, in its actual state, be reasonably expected to let from year to year, on the assumption that the probable average annual cost of repairs, insurance and other expenses (if any) that would be necessary to maintain the property in that state, and all rates and other taxes payable in respect of the property, are borne by the tenant. This definition of NAV is applied to all rateable properties across the State. The assessment of the NAV of any property is grounded in analysis of the available market evidence at the valuation date and relative to other properties on the list in the relevant rating authority area.”
“It was King George IV who introduced the valuations in Ireland 200 years ago. There has been a lot of change on the island of Ireland. Maybe we need to look at the rateable valuation of all property a bit more closely. A valuation for commercial rates purposes is arrived at by estimating the net annual valuation, NAV, of a property, at a specified valuation date during the revaluation of a local authority area.”
“Tailte Éireann has overall responsibility under the Act for the maintenance of all valuation lists used by local authorities in the calculation of rates liability. I thank Deputy Byrne for the information he provided. I did not realise that it was King George. Am I correct that he said it was King George?”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to clarify the position regarding the basis for the assessment of rateable property for commercial rates purposes and the role of Tailte Éireann in that regard. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne. Tailte Éireann is an independent Government agency that provides a property registration system, property valuation service and national mapping and surveying infrastructure for the State. Tailte Éireann is independent in the exercise of its valuation functions under the Valuation Act 2001, as amended. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne, and the Department do not have any function in decisions in this regard.”
“The Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. The Deputy has raised a social issue in this regard, and it should be heard by the board of An Post. The programme for Government states that the Government will continue to provide the nationwide services. We need to continue to fund them to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities. The Department of culture and communications is working to deliver on this. We will work closely in this regard. The Deputy's views are known and they will be raised with the Minister. I will ask the Minister to at least discuss these things with An Post management to alleviate these issues in the Deputy’s area.”
“I have listened with interest to the points the Deputy raised. Decisions on post offices, as we have indicated, are operational matters for An Post and are not a matter over which the Minister has statutory function. The Deputy outlined clearly that the Minister and the Government have a shareholding. He has asked them to use that leverage to make his views known. As I said, however, he cannot intervene. An Post has an independent board with a clear mandate but both the board and management are doing all they can to maintain the company’s sustainability and relevance to customers in the future. The Minister, his officials and Cabinet colleagues are working to support the company to that end.”