Cllr Reilly pushes for in person consultations at Revenue Office in Dundalk

Louth County Council has been asked to write to the Revenue Commissioners to request the Revenue Office in Dundalk be reopened on a part-time basis to facilitate the public, after a motion from Cllr John Reilly was passed at the Louth County Council January meeting, asking the local authority to do so.

Cllr Reilly's motion to reintroduce in-person consultations with the public for a limited time each week, comes in response he said, to growing concerns from elderly residents who struggle to access essential Revenue services through digital or phone-based systems.

The Fine Gael councillor emphasised at the meeting, the challenges faced by those without access to technology, particularly elderly individuals. As an example, he shared an experience where he accompanied an elderly resident to the tax office shortly after the Covid lockdown to secure a tax clearance certificate required for a grant to upgrade their bathroom.

Cllr Reilly explained: "This individual had no smartphone, email address, or access to any form of technology. Without in-person assistance, he would have been completely lost in the process. It's unfair that some of the most vulnerable people in our society are unable to access vital services simply because they don't have access to the latest technology."

Cllr Reilly said he is advocating for the Revenue Office to offer limited in-person consultations, perhaps one day a week or a few hours at set times, to accommodate those who face difficulties with the current system.

"It's not always straightforward", he added, "to reach the revenue office by telephone which means more frustration for people who may only need a form sent out in the post. The reintroduction of in person services that was previously in place before Covid is the main reason for my motion."

With Cllr Reilly's motion being passed at the January meeting, Louth County Council is asked to formally write to the Revenue Commissioners, requesting that they consider reopening their offices for limited in-person consultations.