A human rights group has called for an investigation after it emerged that almost £100m has been granted in rates relief in Belfast in two years.
Department of Finance officials have confirmed that thousands of properties across the city have received either full or partial discounts from rates bills.
Under the rules some categories of properties can claim exemptions including ‘vacant rating’ and ‘non domestic exemptions’.
Under current legislation those used for charitable purposes are among those that can claim 100 per cent relief.
Churches and church halls can also claim the full exemptions.
Vacant rating relief amounted to more than £33m during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 financial years, while non-domestic exemptions – including charities - totalled more than £57m.
More than 2,000 properties received rates relief under the latter category during both years.
Rates for vacant properties are not payable for three months from either the date of a building becomes empty or the date Land and Property Services (LPS) has determined as a completion day.
When the three-month period is over, rates are billed at half the normal amount.
Some buildings that fall into this category can also receive a complete exemption.
The property must previously have been occupied for at least six weeks before a three-month free period can be applied.
Other categories of relief include ‘residential homes rate relief’ which topped £2.8m over the two years and ‘sports and recreation’ which amounted to more than £1.5m.
The details were obtained by the Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR) group in north Belfast.
Spokesman Seán Brady said there should be an investigation.
“Of course rates relief for charities is a good thing which allows good work to go on,” he said.
“How many private developers are sitting on land and property which could be used to tackle problems like the housing crisis and are in receipt of rates relief courtesy of the public?
“This needs investigated.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of Finance said it was assessing the outcome of a public consultation which concluded at the end of February.
“Officials will be reporting to the incoming minister in due course, with a series of recommendations informed by the consultation.”
Earlier this year one of the north’s best known Christian charities defended its presence on a prime development site which has received almost £2m in rates relief over the last 10 years - with “charitable relief” on six units at the park amounting to more that £1.6m.
The owners of Hillview Retail Park, on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast, want to develop the site for commercial purposes while campaigners want social housing to be built there.
East Belfast Mission confirmed it has been using units on a “free of charge ‘meanwhile’ use, for two social economy projects”.
The charity has been praised for its work with the homeless and unemployed but added that it would be happy to see the “property used for what it was designed for”.
