Paddy Malone
Dundalk Chamber of Commerce PRO Paddy Malone has called on the local authority to lower the cost of rates in the area.
Mr Malone made his comments in the wake of the government’s announcement that it was accepting a proposal that arrears of rates will not be attached to new tenants.
Welcoming the decision, the Blackrock man said this would speed up the transfer of buildings and therefore reduce vacancies.
However, he says in order for real gains to be seen the council must address the rates charge.
He said that in the last few years rents have fallen by between 40% and 50% in some cases and that rates needed to follow suit.
While he said it was “commendable” that the local authority had dropped rates by up to 10% in recent years, they needed to fall more to bring Dundalk in line with Newry, which it was directly competing against at all times.
Talk of the Town 