COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 12, 2011

QUESTION NO. 23

QUESTION: Councillor E. Tuffy

To ask the Manager if he will make a short explanatory report on the system of rateable valuations which is now applied by the National Valuation Office to commercial /business premises in South Dublin County, if he will confirm that the valuations applied are based on imputed rental income assigned to premises and if the scheme in operation is subject to change/review in rateable valuation if actual levels of rentals derived from commercial/business premises in the County fall?

REPLY:

The Valuation Act 2001 provides for a revaluation of all commercial property in the country. All commercial rates bills, as issued by the Council, are based on the valuation provided by the Valuation Office Ireland which is the state agency charged with providing valuations for non-domestic properties.  The Valuation Office acts independently and liaises with property owners and occupiers when applying such valuations.  The last review of properties within this Council’s administrative area was carried out in 2006/2007 . The new valuations came into effect from the 1st January 2008.

Between  revaluations, the only circumstance where a rateable valuation can be amended is where a material change of circumstances has occurred  i.e. an extension or a reduction in the size of the property, a subdivision of a property or the amalgamation of one or more properties. This will require a revision of the valuation and is carried out by the Valuation Office. The Valuation Office can be contacted at Irish Life Mall, Abbey Street, Dublin 1 or on telephone number (01) 8171000 or their website, www.valoff.ie, has detailed information about the revaluation process.

The revaluation carried out by the Valuation Office in this county’s administrative area was carried out under the Valuation Act 2001. South Dublin was the first local authority in the country to have the revaluation process carried out. The new valuations reflected  rental values of properties pertaining in September 2005. Properties were valued by reference to their passing rent and/or the passing rent of  similar property in the area.

The rationale behind revaluation is that it would result in a fairer and more equitable system. Therefore, as a result of properties being revalued some valuations were increased  while some were reduced. In this regard, 3927 ratepayers had their rates liability reduced while 2460 had their rates liability increased.

Section 25 ( 2 ) of the Valuation Act 2001 sets out the time periods within which the next valuation must take place

“ a period of not less than 5 years and not more than 10 years elapses between the date on which any valuation list in relation to the area concerned is caused to be published under section 23 and the date on which the next subsequent valuation list in relation to that area is caused to be so published.

 Therefore in relation to this Council, the earliest date the next valuation list for this area can be published is the 31/12/2012 ( New rates effective from the 01/01/2013 )and the latest is the 31/12 2017. (new rates effective from the 01/01/2018)