News - Criticism over sharp rates rise
Finance Minister Lord Rooker has attempted to defend the latest rates rises in Northern Ireland.
Rates bills have gone up by an average of 12% and local politicians have said the increases are unreasonable.
Callers to several BBC programmes have been highly critical of the increases. However, Lord Rooker said the government had no option.
“It is a tough decision, but we needed extra money for NI over and above what we got from the Treasury in London.”
He added: “We made it clear it was new money to be spent on the three new funding streams that we had organised.
“These are for children and young people, renewable energy programmes and skills and science.
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 A regional rate increase of 19% in a single year cannot be justified and will hit those who are just above the state benefit level particularly hard  Peter Robinson
DUP |
“A fifth of households in Northern Ireland do not pay any rates anyway, so they don’t get hit by it, and we needed people to pay a bigger share.”
However, Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Rodgers said the government needed to explain “why they require so much money”.
“We have worked exceptionally hard in Belfast City Council to make sure that our hard-pressed ratepayers get value for money,” he said.
DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson said the increases came on top of recent rises in electricity and gas prices and would have a “significant impact on many people’s quality of life”.
Poverty
“A regional rate increase of 19% in a single year cannot be justified and will hit those who are just above the state benefit level particularly hard,” he said.
Sinn Fein spokesman Francie Molloy said the increase would “further drive up the cost of living and push greater numbers of people into poverty”.
“Across a whole range of areas, British direct rule ministers are putting in place measures, including water charges, that will compound the problems created by high energy costs and high insurance costs that will have a long-term detrimental impact on the economy,” he said.
SDLP local government spokesman Tommy Gallagher said the increase would be “crippling to many households” across Northern Ireland.
“This is a massive increase in rates and will be particularly crippling for elderly people on limited income and is a severe blow for young people who are already paying hefty mortgages, and to young families who are struggling on a daily basis to make ends meet,” he said.
The average rates bill for this year will be 668, compared to 593 for last year.
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