Athenry businesses concerned about rates

BUSINESS owners in Athenry have raised concerns about the inconsistency in the rates charged by Galway County Council.

Fine Gael Cllr David Collins highlighted how some business owners believe they are “overpaying rates”.

He urged the council to send a letter to Tailte Eireann who assesses and determines the rates, asking for clarification on the mechanism that decides the rates.

Director of Services Liam Hanrahan stated that information relating to assessment, submission or revision requests are all available on the Tailte Éireann website.

The website provides information around how a property has been assessed and how the rates have been reached compared to other properties.

Based on this information, businesses can submit a revision request through the website.

Mr Hanrahan cautioned that the revaluation should be sought carefully, as they “tend to go up as well as down”.

Cllr Peter Feeney also requested the council to provide some explanation to the concerned businesses who might be worried about the “inconsistencies” in rates.