Sir, – Under the Auctioneers and House Agents Acts 1947-73, the cost of obtaining my auctioneer’s licence for the year 2011/12, inclusive of all professional fees and excise duty (€250), was €625.
The Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011 has established the Property Services Regulatory Authority, which will take over the administration of licences from the courts and the Revenue Commissioners. The cost of my licence for the year 2012/13 will be €1,000, a whopping 60 per cent increase on the previous year.
And I thought that this Government was committed to reducing costs for small businesses. – Yours, etc,