Universal Design in Legislation, Policy and Practice

"Non Principal Private Residence Online Payments Service - realising savings and efficiencies by moving to

online channels "

Claire GilliganAssistant DirectorLGCSB

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• Background • Project

• Savings and Efficiencies

NPPR – realising savings and efficiencies by moving to online channels

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•October 2008: Minister for Finance announces a €200 charge on Non Principal Private Residences.

•November 2008:Decision to develop national (shared service) system rather than having each local authority “going it alone”.

•January 2009: LGCSB agrees to create and manage an online payment facility on behalf of the local government system;

•March 2009: Inaugural meeting of the Project Board

•July 2009: Online and Bureau service payment facilities completed;

Media Campaign Commences; Legislation comes into effect Friday 31st July.•August 2009:

Payments begin to be made online by customers

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The objective of the project was to provide a speedy, cost effective, efficient and user friendly system to maximise the income from the new €200 charge for non principal private

residences.

For the customer

For the sector

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•Project Board Representation

•County and City Managers Association;

•Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government;

•Local Authority Representatives;

•Local Government Computer Services Board;

•Local Government Management Services Board;

•Private Residential Tenancies Board

•Revenue Commissioners

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•Single, centralised online system to be used by all local authorities•Self declaration•No waivers•Limited refunds•No part payments•Onus on property owner to record reasons where property uninhabitable•Cash not accepted

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Legislation

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Customer •National online system

•ease of access for user – can pay charges for properties in multiple local authorities in a single transaction.

•Comprehensive FAQs•Contact details for local authorities for liability queries•Counter System for local authorities to respond to account queries•Channels

•Online•Bureau•Submit to local authority

•Security & Data Protection•2010 - information email to users providing details on 2010 charge

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Local Authority Sector•Online •Single, centralised online system to be used by all local authorities•Unified approach from local authorities

•Series of information workshops by LGCSB and Dept of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Project Board members•Training and familiarisation of local authority staff

•Bureau – centralised standard approach –• mitigates against different interpretations and implementation of approach in handling payments

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Local Authority Sector•Addressing•Ease of administration of fund nationally•Standard promotional material – radio advertising, local newspapers, local media•Standard backend system to provide information, reporting, querying•Security & Data Protection

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Awareness of Security & Data Protection Sensitive personal data High level of confidentiality needed

Local awareness and educationAdherence and implementation of guidelines on security

E.g. Usage of logins Verification of identity for account queries

Searches on database

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Security & Data Protection

Online & Offline system development costs & hosting for 2009 – 450K13 k per local authority

Estimates if go it alone approachDevelopment 50K * 34 local authorities - €1.7 million

Overall costs:Development, hosting, transaction charges, data processing charges€3.93 average per property 1.96% of €200

Cost per property processed on line - €3.01Additional charge per property if processed by bureau €2.77

the application of a discount for paying online would require a change in legislation

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Savings and Efficiencies

Savings;LicensingHostingGeoDirectory licensingPerformance TestingSecurity Testing Translation

Redistribution of fundsAdministrative overhead locally

Supporting 34 individual installations

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Savings and Efficiencies

Did the project achieve it’s objectives?The objective of the project was to provide a speedy, cost effective, efficient and user friendly system to maximise the income from the new €200 charge for non

principal private residences.

Projected figure was €40 million, €62 million collected.

Reports in the media - based of the success of the NPPR model a similar approach could be looked at for the implementation of a property tax.

Sunday Tribune 30th May 2010http://www.tribune.ie/news/article/2010/may/30/property-tax-on-agenda-as-government-plans-budget/

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