It was a Bottom Line with a difference this week as we focussed on the sometimes vexed question of Commercial Rates.
Some things never change and Tom Molly joined us on the line from the Irish Independent to run the rule over the goings-on internationally and closer to home. There was the massive $8.8 BILLION being soaked up by HP after what seems to have been a misguided purchase of a company last year; fines for Ulster Bank and the shift in focus of the markets from Greece to France which has just been downgraded by Moodys …
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The rest of the programme was concerned with the issue of rates and we had a broad cross section of interests in studio including City and County Manager Joe Crockett, Local Authorities Finance Director John Dempsey, Councillors Martin Brett (FG); Michael O’ Brien (Lab) and Malcolm Noonan (Green), Colin Ahern of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce, Martin Costello of the City Centre Business Association and Rita Brennan of the Kieran Street Traders Kilkenny.
All seemed agreed that the system of Commercial Rates is a system that is not really fit for purpose; there was a surprising willingness on the part of some businesses to countenance an increase in the amount paid to Local Authorities but a desire to see greater transparency and information.
No sparks really flew and at the end we were left wishing that we had another hour to tease out the issues and get more stuck in to the “nitty gritty”.
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Anyway thanks to Edwina Grace who produced and Pat Maher on OB sound (the programme was broadcast like a full OB from the boardroom of our Kilkenny offices). Next week we’re in Carlow discussing the same issues from a particular Carlow slant. Tune in on Tuesday at 7 or if you’d like to have an issue raised, contact [email protected]
