Donegal County Council collected a record €34.7 million in commercial rates last year.
The figure is up €3.3 million on the previous record set in 2023.
Richard Gibson, the council’s Director of Finance, said last year’s haul was the highest commercial rates collection in the local authority’s history.
“We have had two record breaking years back to back, and the collection rate of 80% is the highest for a long time,” he told Monday’s monthly meeting of the council.
“In 2023, we engaged a debt recovery firm and that definitely had a positive result in 2024”.
However, Mr Gibson stressed, council staff are ‘prepared to work with customers’.
“Legal action is always a last resort,” he added.
He also explained a reduction in two thirds of rate bills, following appeals, made it easier for customers to pay. Also, the government introduced two grant schemes which saw €13.1M of grants paid out to businesses all over the county.
“Every service we provide is in some way supported by rates,” Mr Gibson added.
Last year, bills were issued to 4,305 customers in respect of 5,607 properties across Donegal, to the value of €48.4 million. Of that, €4.5 million euro worth of bills were written off, Mr Gibson explained, adding that 61% of them was in respect to vacant properties.
€34.7 million has been collected by the council to date, representing a collection rate of 80% while arrears totalled €13.7 million, down €650,000 on last year’s figure.
Tags: