Sharon Keogan demands transparency on airport commercial rates
Sharon Keogan challenged opaque commercial rate practices in large state-controlled campuses today, focusing on airports and the role of semi-state landlords. She called for a full debate in the House and urged the Minister for Enterprise to investigate alleged overcharging and consider legislative fixes.
Allegations and focus
Sharon Keogan raised allegations that a tenant at the DAA has been accused of overcharging by large margins on commercial rates, and used that claim to highlight a wider pattern of opaque rate apportionment in state-controlled sites.
Impact on businesses and workers
Keogan warned that lack of transparency in how rates are calculated and passed on undermines the viability of small businesses, jeopardises jobs and can increase costs for the public. She stressed tenants in captive environments lack bargaining power and independent verification of charges.
Parliamentary action requested
As a member of the Industrial and Commercial Panel, Keogan called on the Oireachtas to examine whether current arrangements serve the public interest and asked for a full debate in the House. She urged the government to consider legislative options to regulate apportionment of commercial rates in these settings.
Calls for investigation and transparency
Keogan specifically named the Minister for Enterprise as the official who should investigate allegations involving the DAA and similar institutions. She concluded by insisting that transparency must become the standard, not the exception, in rate administration across public campuses.
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Dear Leader, I rise today to highlight the lack of transparency and fairness of how commercial rates are handled in large state-controlled campuses, particularly our airports. Across the country, commercial rates are supposed to operate on a simple principle – the local authority levies them and the occupier knows exactly what they owe. But in complex environments where a single semi-state landlord controls access, tenants often have no visibility into how those rates are calculated, allocated and passed on. Now, there was a recent case in which a tenant of the DAA allegedly overcharged by huge margins on their rates, and I will not comment further as this is part of an ongoing court case, but I think it's worth mentioning the allegation as it comes as part of a much bigger and consistent pattern. I have heard similar complaints from constituents as a member of the Industrial and Commercial Panel, and there are many on the public record particularly concerning our airports. This lack of transparency is not a minor administrative detail. It affects the viability of small businesses, the security of workers' jobs, and ultimately the prices paid by the public. When tenants cannot see the basis for the charges they receive, when they cannot independently verify what portion of council rates they are responsible for, and when they operate in captive environments without bargaining power, the Oireachtas has a duty to ask whether the system is serving the public interest, because otherwise we risk allowing the management of the DAA and similar institutions to run their premises like their own private baronies. Therefore, I am calling for a full debate in this House and for the government to consider legislative options to regulate how commercial rates are apportioned in such settings. More immediately, I think that the Minister for Enterprise should be investigating allegations regarding the DAA and similar institutions. Transparency must be the standard, not the exception. Thank you.
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