New Ross “Rates Crisis” has my attention – Kelly

The County Wexford Sinn Féin General Election candidate has said that the suffering of small businesses in the New Ross district due to outlandish rates imposed on them has his full attention.  Speaking during a canvass of the Ross area last weekend, Cllr Anthony Kelly said that the “Rates Crisis” had to be solved immediately or there would a further collapse in County Wexford leading to more unemployment, emigration and misery.

“The rates issue is one that affects the whole county,” Cllr Kelly said, “But during canvass of the Ross district, I was struck by the magnitude of its effects here.  I have been approached by so many different people, coming from different business sectors, who are telling me that these rates will force them to shut down in the next six months.  I have been approached by publicans, by small garage owners, by shopkeepers; they’re all telling me the same thing – End these rates or the rates will end us.”

“The esteemed economist Morgan Kelly has warned of a second stage in the financial crisis which will see mortgage owner’s default on their properties.  To me, it seems we face a second stage of the unemployment crisis.  Rather than a slow recovery, we are facing another brisk fall, unless these rates are lowered.  If the rates crisis goes unchanged, then we will have a mass closure of small, family owned businesses across this county.  There are currently twenty thousand people on the live register in County Wexford.  How many more have to join it before we take action against these obscene rates?”

Cllr. Kelly, who previously called for a “financial bail out” of under pressure rates payers, said that he knew only too well the importance of these rates to the maintenance of local authorities, but said changes had to be made at the top to counter balance lowering of the rates. 

“Its as simple as this.  Local councils rely upon rates payments from local businesses.  If all the businesses close up, then there won’t be anyone left to pay rates.  Central government must make adequate funding available to local councils so that these ridiculously high rates can be lowered immediately.  I intend on bringing this up in Leinster House when I am elected to serve as Sinn Féin TD for County Wexford.  I want the under siege rates payers of this county to know that I will fight for them.”