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Gallagher slams department for £24million ratepayers millstone

SDLP Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Tommy Gallagher has said ratepayers in his constituency are being burdened over the Department of Finance’s blunder in failing to recover over £24 million in rates.

Mon 7th December

Mr Gallagher said: "Honest ratepayers have had to foot the bill due to the Department of Finance’s slack rate collection system. 

“The Agency which collects the rates, Land and Property Services (LPS), has known for years that there were hundreds of domestic and non-domestic buildings which were on their books as vacant, but many of them actually were occupied. 

“They have only now got District Councils to check these buildings and have sent out bills to recover the debt.  It is amazing that £24 million in rate debt was lurking unknown to LPS because of weaknesses in their systems.
 
"I am sure that LPS still have not got to the bottom of this.  There will still be properties which are liable for rates and aren't paying.  That puts a bigger burden on everyone else. 

 

“Also I have no doubt that there will be very old debt which will never be identified and recovered.  Money will be lost because of this inefficiency and honest ratepayers will be those that bear the brunt of this ineptness by the department.”

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