Vol. 509 No. 4
274 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his Department has received applications from Carlow Urban Council, Carlow County Council, Kilkenny Corporation and Kilkenny County Council for extra funding to employ staff in the planning section of each authority; and if funding is still available. [20713/99]
In April 1998, my Department wrote to planning authorities asking that they avail of the opportunity presented by planning fee increases, which were effected by new regulations at that time and to consider the possibility of employing more professional planners. My Department again wrote to local authority managers in July 1998 asking that they consider the adequacy of their professional/technical and administrative/clerical staffing in order to ensure that the planning system does not cause bottlenecks in meeting demand and delivers the best possible service to the customer. My Department has approved all requests for additional professional planners.
My Department does not provide specific grants to local authorities in respect of the employment of staff. Local authority income to meet such costs would, in the main, comprise income from rates, fees and charges for goods and services and general purpose grants. As a result of increased allocations which I have made in recent years from the Local Government (Equalisation) Fund and the Local Government Fund, local authorities will be greatly assisted in meeting any additional costs arising from employment of planning staff.
