Connacht Tribune
High Local Property Tax compliance rates in Galway
Galway City had the third-highest compliance rate in the country for payment of Local Property Tax in 2017, according to new figures from the Revenue Commissioners.
In total, €23.7 million was collected in LPT from Galway City and county last year – up from €22.3m the previous year.
The city recorded a compliance rate of 99.1% – behind both South Dublin and Clare at 99.4% and Fingal County Council at 99.2%. The national average was 97%, the figures show.
A total of €8.2m was collected from 32,200 properties in the city – up from €8.1m in 2016 from 32,000 properties. In 2016, the rate in Galway City was 98.7%.
In County Galway, the compliance rate for 2017 was 98.4%, equating to a total of €15.5m from 72,100 properties. The compliance rate was unchanged from 2016.
The lowest compliance rate for LPT collection last year was 93.6% in Donegal – also the lowest in 2016 at 92.6%.
The Revenue report also shows that 500 properties were declared exempt from the LPT in 2017 in Galway City (1% of stock), along with 1,700 in the county (3.5% of housing stock). The highest exemption rate was in Dublin City at 13.6%, with the lowest in Monaghan at 1.1%.
Properties can be exempted for a variety of reasons including long-term illness; pyrite damage; the home of a severely incapacitated person; unfinished estates and homes unsold by builders.
In Co Galway, 3.9% of liable homeowners had the LPT mandatorily deducted from their salary/pension, compared to 1.5% in the city. The highest such rate was Co Cork at 9% and lowest was Leitrim at 0.8%.
Homeowners can also apply for deferrals of payment if they are below the income threshold (the person liable must have income below €15,000 for a full deferral or below €25,000 for a partial deferral). Deferrals can also be granted if the person liable if they are the executor of an estate, if they have suffered significant financial loss or are insolvent.
The deferral rate in Galway City for 2017 was 1.2% (800 properties) and 3.6% in the county (2,200 properties). The highest deferral rate was in Dublin City at 12%, with the lowest in Longford at 1%.
When Revenue carried out initial valuations on properties across the county for the LPT’s introduction in 2013, in Galway City, 19.4% were in the €0 to €100,000 band; 30.1% in the €100,000 to €150,000 band; 27.5% in the €150,000 to €200,000 band; 11.8% in the €200,000 to €250,000 band; 4.7% in the €250,000 to €300,000 band and 6.5% over €300,000.
After city homeowners self-assessed for the valuations, 43% remained in the band in which they had been evaluated by Revenue; 30% moved one band lower; 10.6% two bands lower and 2.3% three or more bands lower, while 7% moved one band higher; 7% two bands higher and 4% moved three or more bands higher.
In County Galway, 35% of homes were initially valued by Revenue in the €0 to €100,000 band; 32.3% in the €100,000 to €150,000 band; 22.8% in the €150,000 to €200,000 band; 5.6% in the €200,000 to €250,000; 2.1% in the €250,000 to €300,000 band and 2.3% in the band over €300,000.
After self-valuations, 44% remained in the same band; 27.6% one band lower; 10% two bands lower and 0.5% three or more bands lower, while 9.7% moved one band higher; 4.8% two bands higher and 3.3% three or more bands higher.
According to Revenue, 1,500 valuations increased during 2017 – through challenges made by Revenue and through self-correction.
“Nationally during 2017, more than 300,000 compliance letters issued, covering all LPT and HHC (Household Charge) liabilities for years 2012 to 2017 inclusive.
“In the vast majority of these cases, property owners went on to comply fully with their LPT payment obligations, either on a phased basis or by way of a single payment. However, a relatively small number of taxpayers chose to remain non-compliant, leaving Revenue with no alternative other than to deploy debt collection/enforcement measures or other sanctions, to secure payment.
“In 2017, 755 cases were referred to the Sheriff/External Solicitors for collection. More than 12,930 tax clearance requests were refused due to LPT non-compliance, of which almost 97% were subsequently granted clearance when payment arrangements were agreed.
“During 2017, Revenue also imposed almost 9,800 Income Tax and Corporation Tax surcharges on foot of LPT non-compliance. Of these, approximately 70% were subsequently mitigated, when reviews were requested, following discussions between Revenue and the relevant property owners.
“Revenue deducted 2017 LPT from the salaries or pensions of almost 79,000 property owners, of which more than half ‘rolled over’ from mandatory deductions applied in 2016.
“To date, more than 12,500 valuations have been increased, arising from a combination of self-correction and Revenue challenges, with approximately 1,500 valuations increased during 2017,” the Revenue report reads.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
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Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
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