CARLOW ratepayers are battling for their very survival amid spiralling rates and dwindling business, according to local councillors.
At a recent meeting of Carlow Co Council, cllr Jennifer Murnane O’Connor raised the matter and spoke of the financial burden many Carlow businesses are under.
“We have people who have lived all their lives in Carlow, have businesses in the town and they are under huge pressure,” she said. “A woman came to me recently who has a business 30 or 40 years in the town and is just not making any money at the moment and can’t pay the full rates. We have to come up with some system to help these people … that’s the times we are living in,” argued cllr Murnane O’Connor.
Cllr Denis Foley pointed to businesses that are now only opening part-time, yet the full rate is still required of them, while cllr John Pender asked if the council writes-off rates where businesses have closed.
Cllr Willie Quinn stated that he had spoken to ratepayers who have pointed out that Carlow’s rates are higher than other counties.
“I was approached by a businessman, who said he’s been approached by two other counties with lower rates to move his business there … .that’s a bad indictment of Carlow if that was to happen,” he warned.
Cllr Wayne Fennell admitted that he was “worried about small business,” adding that when he returned to Carlow from holidays during the summer and walked down Tullow Street, you could “really feel it.”
Head of finance Eamon Delaney stated that the council was trying to work with ratepayers and while the council write-off rates for businesses that have closed, this was a decision “not taken lightly.” Mr Delaney insisted that Carlow was not among the country’s highest rates, pointing out that the county was placed 15th out of 30 counties for rates.
