*Photograph: Páraic McMahon
BUSINESSES in Ennis have experienced a drop in income of up to fifty percent due to ongoing roadworks in the county town.
Ongoing works to the public realm as part of a €11.5m upgrade to the streetscape of the county town are hitting businesses hard. Contractors leading the scheme are to be asked to consider working into the evening time to accelerate the project’s delivery.
Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) tabled a request at this week’s sitting asking the Chief Executive of Clare County Council “to advise how best to postpone the inordinate burden on Ennis rate payers arising from the recent increase on valuation of properties, pending the completion of the current works taking place in the town”.
Financial accountant, Trina Rynne who works in the finance and support services section of the Council explained that the National Revaluation Programme was completed in Clare in 2023 to reflect “the current business environment”. She stated, “The outcome of this process resulted in no increase in Commercial Rates year on year for this Council”.
Trina stated, “There is no mechanism in the absence of Ministerial approval for the waiving of all or part of the annual Rates in any part of County Clare for upgrade and or development works. The Local Government Rates and Other Matters Act 2019 was passed by the Oireachtas in 2019”.
According to Trina, six out of every ten rate payers in the Ennis MD have seen a reduction, two of every ten have an average increase of €220 per annum and a further two in every ten see an increase above €500 per annum.
She added, “The exercise did result in increases for some properties, but it should be noted that all business owners were afforded the opportunity to query and or appeal the valuation during the process. Appeals for County Clare are 214 appeals out of 4135 – which is 5.17% of all commercial properties under revaluation”.
Commercial rate customers have indicated a difficulty in meeting their commercial rates liability and should therefore “engage with their account manager to agree a payment arrangement,” the Kilnamona woman said.
Where commercial rate customers are indicating difficulty to members in meeting their commercial rates liability, they are encouraged to engage with their account manager to agree a payment arrangement. It is noteworthy that in 2023, where there was no pandemic waiver of commercial rates for any period, over 88% of commercial rates were paid in the year. Several businesses in the Ennis Municipal District have indicated some of their best years trading despite the post pandemic environment. Company Office Returns of trading data for several businesses substantiates this position”.
Commercial rates “are the main funding source for the general provision of services by the Council,” she explained. This was cited as one avenue for funding the €3m in match funding from the local authority for the public realm works.
Traders are finding it “difficult particularly the way things are at the moment with the streets closed,” Cllr Daly flagged. Current conditions are “very difficult” for those in business, the Mayor of the Ennis MD emphasised. “It seems a lot of them didn’t use the appeals system, I asked the County Manager to intervene because some of them are finding it very difficult”.
Difficulties for Ennis traders must be brought to the highest level, Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) insisted. “A lot of businesses are really suffering, some of their income has dropped by 50%, people are just not going into their stores,” he warned. The Kildysart native asked if consideration could be given to get the contractors working on the public realm to work later in the evenings to accelerate the works, “it would make a considerable difference and reduce the timeframe, many businesses would favour if that approach could be taken”. He added, “It is very difficult to put this additional burden on top of people”.
Facts provided by the Council’s financial office were “very helpful,” Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) observed. “It is true and my heart does go out to the traders, my husband Tony Molloy was a trader,” she said of the difficulties. “I’ve spoken to some of the traders, they are happy the work is ongoing, they are working with rate managers in the Council, they are very accommodating to work with the traders,” she added.
Rates is “totally out of our gift and is in the hands of the Minister,” Cllr Mary Howard (FG) outlined. “Parnell St was an easy win because the lower section was done with people walking on it. We probably need to promote the cost of the business grant,” she continued. “Rates was always a hot potato every year in the days of Ennis Town Council, we never increased the rates in Ennis until such times as had to do the equalisation,” Howard recalled.
Senior engineer, Seán Lenihan said the matter would be referred to the Chief Executive and also flagged with the county’s Oireachtas members “so they can speak to the Minister”. He said he would ask Shareridge who are the contractors for the public realm works to see if they can accelerate the works, “the concrete is slow by nature but the paving has ramped up significantly”.
