A small business premises in Mayo has seen its rate valuation rise by 500 percent, from 1000 euro annually up to 6,000 euro. That’s according to Westport based Independent councillor Christy Hyland.

The councillor insists that level of inflation is absurd, and he says it is just one of many businesses across the county and region that have been shocked by the new rate valuations they are receiving from the national Rate Valuation Office, over recent months.

More than 300 businesses in county Galway have shut shop since the pandemic, and councillor Hyland argues that a similar level of closures are inevitable in Mayo if the Minister does not intervene and change the new rate valuations that are being imposed by the Rate Valuation Office.

Councillor Hyland has been telling Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley about a Mayo business, not on busiest street in the town, that is simply reeling from a bill that it is now facing into the future…