10% rate increase for Co Cavan businesses

Council agrees Budget 2025

Rates in Co Cavan are set to increase by 10% following the adoption of Budget 2025 by members during a special meeting at Council HQ this afternoon.

It is the first time in three years that rates have been increased in the county.

The meeting heard the increase will yield €1.8M for the local authority, enabling it to ringfence €1.5M for its capital investment programme and an additional €300,000 to provide a balanced budget across all services.

Members were divided on the issue. However the Budget was proposed quickly by Fianna Fáil’s Cllr John Paul Feeley and seconded by Cllr Winston Bennett (FG).

In proposing it, Cllr Feeley said: "This Budget is an ambitious document that tries to address many of the issues that we as councillors raise throughout the year. We have sustained our own contribution to roads funding, which is vitally important and it is necessary as a council that we ensure we get more funding in the years ahead.

"Part of that is being able to demonstrate that we, as a local authority, are doing our bit and that we are literally putting our money where our mouth is."

The speed of the proposal and seconding gave little opportunity for opposition councillors to voice their views or put forward a counter proposal on the matter.

Cllr Noel Connell (SF), Cllr Damien Brady (SF), Cllr Sarah O’Reilly (Aontú) and Cllr Shane P O’Reilly (II) highlighted, after the adoption was made, that they objected strenuously to any proposals to increased rates.

Cllr Shane P O’ Reilly said there were numerous small businesses that wouldn’t be able to absorb the cost; while Cllr Sarah O’Reilly added: “It’s very obvious that businesses are struggling and my main concern is for SMEs on our main streets. The cost of doing business is becoming increasingly hard and, while they looked for supports in the national budget, they didn’t get it. I feel 10% is a huge increase on a rates' bill and many feel they aren’t getting any tangible benefits from paying rates in the first instance.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Noel Connell told those gathered that he knows numerous small businesses across the county who are operating “week to week”.

“At the end of the month there is no money to spare,” he continued before adding that a 10% rates increase on top of massive ESB and insurance bills, and taxes, “will lead to them going out of business”.

His party colleague, Cllr Damien Brady said that, while he appreciated that “very difficult decisions had to be made”, he was totally opposed to increasing rates in Co Cavan.

“When I came down the Main Street of the town I live in on my way into this meeting earlier, I noted that five or six businesses have closed there,” he added. “I couldn’t support this, it will just be too much for some.”