asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware that the drainage maintenance demand made by the Office of Public Works on Donegal County Council has risen from £115,960 in 1977 to £308,219 in 1982 which is an increase of 265 per cent and which caused extreme difficulties for the council in order to meet the payment; if he is further aware that the percentage increase in the domestic rates relief from his Department for the same period was 73 per cent and that this year's drainage maintenance demand by the Office of Public Works is £396,924 which is an increase of 28 per cent on the 1982 amount presenting an almost insurmountable task for the council which will be unable to meet this demand unless it drops other services; and if, in view of the extremely serious situation, he will make a statement on the steps he proposes to take to correct the growing imbalance in the present system.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Drainage Maintenance Demand.
Action has been taken in recent years to moderate the effects of statutory demands on the finances of local authorities. For example, in 1982, the increase in the demands was limited in line with the increases in rate poundage levels.
The 1983 demands were issued by the Office of Public Works well in advance of decisions on local authority allocations for 1983. I am having the implications of these demands examined at the moment in the light of those allocations.
The Minister and his Department must acknowledge that this system of rates limitation repayments by the Department of the Environment puts managers of county councils and the members of local authorities at a very distinct disadvantage because the statutory demands such as the maintenance of the Office of Public Works, the health boards and the Department of Education leave very little for the manager and members to decide what services can be provided in any year.
A question, please, Deputy.
I hope the Government will acknowledge and point out the weaknesses of the system that was devised by the Fianna Fáil Government in 1977. This is militating against county councils, especially Donegal County Council and it is ludicrous to expect them to be paying maintenance demands to the Office of Public Works out of a limitation repayment by the Department of the Environment, leaving other services with no funds provided for them.
The Deputy has answered the question with a degree of impartiality that I would find hard to match.
What is the Minister going to do about it?
We are going to attempt to undo the extraordinary damage that was done to local authority finances since 1977 but it will not be done within 12 weeks of taking office in the Custom House.