Vol. 546 No. 1
3 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that local authority allocations for 2002 are sufficient to allow them fulfil their function and obligations. [31210/01]
Some 90% of my Department's spending flows to local authorities in capital grants and subsidies. I am sure the Deputy will join me in welcoming the significant additional spending on infrastructure announced by the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, in the budget yesterday. It brings my Department's 2002 Estimate to a level over 18% above the revised Estimates provision for this year.
The Deputy's question may refer to general purpose allocations for local authorities made under the local government fund. I have recently notified local authorities of these allocations for 2002, which total 593 million – £467 million. I am satisfied these allocations, together with local sources of income, will allow local authorities to improve further the services they provide to local communities. The total 2002 allocation represents an increase of almost 10% over the consolidated baseline for the current year. This is almost double the current rate of inflation. The cumulative increase in general purpose allocation, from the initial 1997 allocations to 2002, will stand at some 74%. As well as standard across-the-board increases in 2002, a sum of 15 million – £11.8 million – has also been allocated via the needs and resources model, which is designed to refine the approach to the sharing of the local government fund allocations between local authorities.
The local government fund also finances non-national road grants, which have increased substantially in recent years, from 221.95 million – £174.8 million – in 1997 to 410.836 million – £323.56 million – in 2001. That is an increase of some 85%.
Additional Information.I will notify authorities of their 2002 allocations early in the new year.
This record level of funding delivers on the Government's commitment to empower local authorities, through a solid base of funding, to respond swiftly to the needs of local communities and to plan for the challenges of the future. I am circulating details of individual local authority allocations in the Official Report.
2002 Local Authority General Purpose Allocations
|
Local Authority |
2002 AllocationsEuro |
2002 AllocationsIRP |
|
Carlow County Council |
7,727,102.00 |
£6,085,587 |
|
Carlow UDC |
1,354,267.00 |
£1,066,572 |
|
Cavan County Council |
11,704,245.00 |
£9,217,842 |
|
Cavan UDC |
598,736.00 |
£471,543 |
|
Clare County Council |
9,524,638.00 |
£7,501,262 |
|
Ennis UDC |
1,657,136.00 |
£1,305,101 |
|
Kilrush UDC |
407,641.00 |
£321,043 |
|
Cork Corp |
17,805,348.00 |
£14,022,851 |
|
Cork County Council |
36,503,870.00 |
£28,749,134 |
|
Clonakilty UDC |
444,449.00 |
£350,032 |
|
Cobh UDC |
918,659.00 |
£723,503 |
|
Fermoy UDC |
569,464.00 |
£448,489 |
|
Kinsale UDC |
294,376.00 |
£231,840 |
|
Macroom UDC |
372,429.00 |
£293,312 |
|
Mallow UDC |
694,561.00 |
£547,011 |
|
Midleton UDC |
364,232.00 |
£286,856 |
|
Skibbereen UDC |
318,755.00 |
£251,040 |
|
Youghal UDC |
854,504.00 |
£672,977 |
|
Donegal County Council |
24,197,831.00 |
£19,057,341 |
|
Buncrana UDC |
656,785.00 |
£517,260 |
|
Bundoran UDC |
433,667.00 |
£341,541 |
|
Letterkenny UDC |
858,624.00 |
£676,221 |
|
Dublin Corp |
57,704,958.00 |
£45,446,348 |
|
Dún Laoghaire-RathdownCounty Council |
27,889,622.00 |
£21,964,862 |
|
Fingal County Council |
23,067,650.00 |
£18,167,251 |
|
Sth Dublin County Council |
18,652,158.00 |
£14,689,768 |
|
Galway Corp |
6,420,782.00 |
£5,056,777 |
|
Galway County Council |
23,788,328.00 |
£18,734,831 |
|
Ballinasloe UDC |
622,481.00 |
£490,244 |
|
Kerry County Council |
17,025,044.00 |
£13,408,312 |
|
Killarney UDC |
1,221,266.00 |
£961,825 |
|
Listowel UDC |
560,208.00 |
£441,200 |
|
Tralee UDC |
2,482,838.00 |
£1,955,394 |
|
Local Authority |
2002 AllocationsEuro |
2002 AllocationsIRP |
|
Kildare County Council |
15,303,344.00 |
£12,052,363 |
|
Athy UDC |
425,786.00 |
£335,334 |
|
Naas UDC |
826,340.00 |
£650,796 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
12,672,851.00 |
£9,980,681 |
|
Kilkenny Corp |
1,377,642.00 |
£1,084,981 |
|
Laois County Council |
11,363,361.00 |
£8,949,374 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
9,498,936.00 |
£7,481,020 |
|
Limerick County Council |
16,466,828.00 |
£12,968,681 |
|
Limerick Corp |
7,619,444.00 |
£6,000,800 |
|
Longford County Council |
8,637,773.00 |
£6,802,799 |
|
Longford UDC |
918,833.00 |
£723,640 |
|
Louth County Council |
8,286,979.00 |
£6,526,526 |
|
Drogheda Corp |
3,749,709.00 |
£2,953,136 |
|
Dundalk UDC |
4,172,913.00 |
£3,286,436 |
|
Mayo County Council |
22,136,892.00 |
£17,434,219 |
|
Ballina UDC |
954,232.00 |
£751,519 |
|
Castlebar UDC |
775,867.00 |
£611,045 |
|
Westport UDC |
635,116.00 |
£500,194 |
|
Meath County Council |
17,715,578.00 |
£13,952,151 |
|
Kells UDC |
322,291.00 |
£253,825 |
|
Navan UDC |
404,697.00 |
£318,725 |
|
Trim UDC |
403,941.00 |
£318,129 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
9,441,027.00 |
£7,435,413 |
|
Carrickmacross UDC |
359,740.00 |
£283,318 |
|
Castleblaney UDC |
285,462.00 |
£224,820 |
|
Clones UDC |
367,283.00 |
£289,259 |
|
Monaghan UDC |
879,573.00 |
£692,720 |
|
Offaly County Council |
9,398,295.00 |
£7,401,759 |
|
Birr UDC |
489,878.00 |
£385,810 |
|
Tullamore UDC |
964,947.00 |
£759,958 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
15,188,170.00 |
£11,961,656 |
|
Sligo County Council |
11,293,523.00 |
£8,894,372 |
|
Sligo Corp |
2,298,982.00 |
£1,810,595 |
|
Tipp NR County Council |
11,815,577.00 |
£9,305,523 |
|
Tipp SR County Council |
14,282,421.00 |
£11,248,321 |
|
Nenagh UDC |
759,665.00 |
£598,285 |
|
Templemore UDC |
396,553.00 |
£312,311 |
|
Thurles UDC |
716,680.00 |
£564,431 |
|
Carrick-on-suir UDC |
763,946.00 |
£601,656 |
|
Cashel UDC |
460,020.00 |
£362,295 |
|
Clonmel Corp |
2,269,576.00 |
£1,787,436 |
|
Tipperary UDC |
590,438.00 |
£465,008 |
|
Waterford Corp |
5,406,076.00 |
£4,257,631 |
|
Waterford County Council |
13,319,771.00 |
£10,490,172 |
|
Dungarvan UDC |
765,637.00 |
£602,988 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
12,428,512.00 |
£9,788,249 |
|
Athlone UDC |
1,382,775.00 |
£1,089,024 |
|
Wexford County Council |
13,295,995.00 |
£10,471,447 |
|
Enniscorthy UDC |
907,640.00 |
£714,825 |
|
New Ross UDC |
661,857.00 |
£521,255 |
|
Wexford Corp |
1,563,233.00 |
£1,231,146 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
12,296,360.00 |
£9,684,170 |
|
Arklow UDC |
1,112,004.00 |
£875,774 |
|
Bray UDC |
3,301,399.00 |
£2,600,063 |
|
Wicklow UDC |
1,180,573.00 |
£929,777 |
|
Total |
593,009,595.00 |
£467,033,009 |
Whatever about the sharing of the local government fund, is the Minister aware that the average increase to local authorities does not even come close to covering inflationary costs? In the case of some local authority functions those are a multiple of the increase. Not inconsiderable costs have been imposed on local authorities due to responsibilities the Minister has passed on to them to provide so-called better local government. Additional energy and operational costs arise from the incremental increases that occur each year due to the provision of additional infrastructure, not to mention the quantum leap in the cost of waste management. Given these circumstances, how does the Minister expect local authorities to provide even the same level of service? Is he aware that even now, when local authorities are calculating their Estimates for the coming year, far from increasing services, they are actually voting for savage cutbacks?
This Minister, in the Government of full and plenty, is known as MacSharry mark 2. He was down in Wicklow today or yesterday expressing concern about illegal dumping, but how does he expect local authorities to carry out inspections of illegal dumps? Illegal dumps, not always of hazardous waste, are widespread and without adequate resources it is impossible for local authorities to police them, even when they are reported. How does the Minister expect to maintain any credibility with the public if, in spite of all that has been said about better local government, there are to be savage cutbacks?
I do not know what planet the Deputy is living on. I have indicated, very clearly, the level of increases this year, which is, on average, over twice the rate of inflation. There has been a 74% increase in allocations to local authorities since 1997. I do not regard better local government as an extra imposition on local authorities, I regard it as a means of delivering the services they should be delivering – and have been delivering – in a better, more cost-efficient manner. Every local authority should provide quality customer service and they should not view doing so as an added extra.
The additional responsibilities local authorities will have when extra infrastructure has been put in place have been recognised in the model. A sum of money was provided separate to the needs and resources model in recognition of the fact that, for example, sewerage works mean added costs in the current year that are not met by the model until the following year.
Waste management has always been a direct function of local authorities and they have been told that the "polluter pays" principle means they have to find the funds for enforcement from their own resources. Capital allocations were made for waste management in the past and they will be made again on foot of the new waste management plans in the various regions. I do not accept excuses from any local authority that is not enforcing action against illegal dumpers.
