City chief hits back at judge in rates dispute

Cork’s city manager has hit back at the judge who criticised the city’s commercial rates policy, describing his comments as “unfair and unbalanced”.

Tim Lucey said he took “serious issue with both the tenor and content” of Judge Olann Kelleher’s remarks about the rising number of rates arrears cases coming before the city’s district court.

Judge Kelleher spoke out after 170 rates cases were listed at Cork District Court. He said there were a further 200 similar cases due before him in the next two weeks. He also raised concerns that rates were being set so high they were closing businesses.