asked the Minister for the Environment the local authorities who are empowered to levy charges for services; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
678.
Written Answers . - Local Authority Financing .
677.
asked the Minister for the Environment the local authorities who are not empowered to levy charges for services; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
: I propose to take Questions Nos. 677 and 678 together.
In general, local authorities have like powers in regard to charging for services. There are some exceptions — for example, urban authorities may not charge for water supplied to domestic consumers whereas county councils may make such charge.
It is my intention to confer on all local authorities a general power to charge for services by way of legislation which will be introduced shortly, and this will serve also to do away with any anomalies in the existing powers as between different authorities.
679.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give full details of the method of financing local authorities in 1983; and if he will make a statement on this matter.
: I presume the Deputy is referring to the financing of the revenue expenditure of local authorities.
Revenue expenditure is met from rates, State grants and miscellaneous receipts, accruing from such items as housing rents and other charges for goods and services.
There is no substantial change this year in the basic method of financing local authorities but I would refer the Deputy to my speech during the course of the debate on the budget (Dáil Debates Volume 340, No. 9, Columns 1752 to 1756) in which I outlined my policy of increasing the financial independence of local authorities.