Clare retailers protest over rates increase at council meeting
A large number of business owners from Ennis and Kilrush packed the public gallery at the meeting as part of a “Day of Action on Rates” organised by the Ennis Chamber of Commerce.
The mayor of Clare, James Breen, resisted a number of attempts by councillors Johnny Flynn and Ann Norton to have the rates issue discussed, resulting in a heckling match between gathered business people and the mayor.
Mr Breen threatened to clear the public gallery on three separate occasions before suspending the meeting for 10 minutes.
While suspending the meeting, he threatened to have the protestor forcibly removed, saying: “Leave the public gallery now or we will have you removed”.
None of the business people left the gallery, instead a group began to heckle Mr Breen with one protestor shouting: “You go out and have your cup of tea. And you want our votes.”
The meeting resumed 10 minutes later, with all the protestors still in place, and Mr Breen agreeing to accept a formal motion put forward by the chamber of commerce. The motion called for a reversal of the 5.75% increase in commercial rates for Ennis in 2016, and the extension of the council’s rates grant incentive scheme to include all rates payers, including businesses in arrears who are involved in payment plans with the local authority.
In an virtually unheard of move, Mr Breen agreed to take this motion and referred it to the CEO of the council, Tom Coughlan, for consideration.
Rates in Ennis and Kilrush will be increased by more than 11% this year over the next two years through the process of rates equalisation. The council had been expected to introduce this process over the allowed 10-year period, but voted to an increase of 5.7% for 2016 earlier this month.
Speaking at Monday’s meeting, general manager of the Temple Gate Hotel in Ennis, Paul Madden, warned “something will have to give” for businesses in Ennis and Kilrush if this rates decision is not reversed.
“I am here to support my colleagues in the Ennis business community and to relay our dissatisfaction toward the budget that has been passed by the council. For them to increase rates at a time when we can’t afford it is unacceptable. We are still struggling and this is a huge increase,” he said.
“Similar to the council who passed this budget, I had to pass my budget in October [for the hotel] and in that budget, I agree what I could spend this year and I cannot go above that. So something will have to give. If they want me to contribute to an increase in rates or an increase in the minimum wage, then so be it, but something is going to have to give somewhere along the line.”
