17 September 2002 Farren In Final Appeal For Views As Rating Seminars Draw To A Close
A final call for people to give their opinions in person on current rating policy in Northern Ireland was made today by the Minister of Finance & Personnel, Dr Seán Farren MLA.
Dr Farren made his appeal as preparations are finalised for the last of the consultation seminars on the Executive's Review of Rating Policy, which will take place next Monday (Sept 23) in the Europa Hotel, Belfast. Those attending will be updated on the range of contributions offered so far during the consultation and what happens next.
The Minister encouraged as many people as possible from the public, private, and voluntary sectors to attend and contribute to the general debate:
"Last May the Executive launched a public consultation paper on the Review of Rating Policy,"he said.
"This was done to ensure that the decision-making process on this important issue is genuinely open and transparent.
"Up to the end of August there have been 17,400 hits on the consultation web site. The consultation paper itself has been downloaded more than 7,000 times, and upwards of 1,000 hard copy versions have been issued. In addition, there have been numerous electronic and paper submissions to the Review.
"I am delighted with the level of response so far, but it is important that we receive as many comments and views as possible. That is why I am encouraging a good turnout at the final seminar next Monday.
"The consultation paper has set out the options the Executive believes might be applicable in the Northern Ireland context. The issues are dealt with as objectively as possible. As I said at the time, nothing is ruled in and nothing is ruled out.
"However, the present system contains inequities that cannot be tolerated in a fair society. The regressive nature of the system means that it has a particularly adverse impact upon those on low incomes. It does not target social need, which is a major commitment in the Executive's Programme for Government.
"The last assessment of housing values in Northern Ireland took place in 1976 and was based on rental values from the late 1960s, reflecting the prevailing socio-economic conditions of nearly 40 years ago.
"Clearly, in the interests of fairness, there is a need to look at this subject again. We are depending on the contributions from the wider community to help us in this exercise. For those who have not yet done so, next Monday's final consultation seminar is a valuable opportunity to offer their thoughts.
"In the weeks ahead the Review team will be analysing the responses received before making its proposals to the Executive. Once likely options have been identified, impact analyses will be carried out and a report made to the Executive,"Dr Farren added.
