by Alan Jacques
LIMERICK City and County Council are about to charge full commercial rates for sports clubs with bars, despite a Government decision allowing a partial exemption on their rates liability.
And, according to local Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea, at least one sports club is facing an increase in its rates – despite last September’s announcement that they would not be liable for rates on the non-commercial part of their property.
With the local authority set to issue its 2015 rates demands in the coming days, Deputy O’Dea has raised the ante by proposing that they should waive rates for all local sports clubs.
The former Defence Minister told the Limerick Post that he has been contacted by a number of local clubs who have queried their impending rates bills.
“I know of one club in Limerick who instead of a rates reduction are facing an increase, simply because they were enterprising enough to build extra dressing rooms through fundraising in the community.
“Up until the announcement – all the premises would be charged full commercial rates, but this didn’t reflect the voluntary nature of sports clubs or the other parts of the facilities that didn’t have any commercial use. This has meant that many sports clubs that had a bar were liable for rates on the entire building, not just the income-generating part of it,” he explained.
Describing the change in the law as “very good news”, Deputy O’Dea said this meant that many clubs would only be liable for rates on the part of the building that generated income, which is usually just the bar.
He expressed concern that the Government was slow to have the relevant amendment to the Valuation Bill passed by the Oireachtas, but he was confident it would become law in a “matter of weeks”.
“Consequently, I am calling on the council to waive the relevant rates for all sports clubs in Limerick and on the Government to provide immediate clarity for local authorities. They cannot just announce this change with great fanfare and then not follow through for the rates bills for 2015. Likewise, the council cannot ignore the soon-to-be-enacted changes to the law,” he added.
A spokeswoman for the council explained that, under current legislation, the buildings of clubs licenced to sell alcohol are valued in their entirety for rates.
“The Valuation Amendment Bill is progressing through the Houses of the Oireachtas and we await the outcome”, she said.
