Vol. 571 No. 2
310 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government if he proposes to provide funding for local authorities to pay the cost of the benchmarking awards; if he has received a request from city and county managers to meet him on the issue; if he has met them; and, if so, the outcome of that meeting. [21357/03]
Local authorities fund their expenditure, including expenditure on pay, from a variety of sources, including specific State grants, commercial rates, rents, fees and charges for services and general purpose grants from the local government fund.
I am satisfied that the funding available to local authorities for 2003, which included, on average, an increase of over 6% in general purpose grants, is sufficient to meet the reasonable costs of providing their services this year. The issue of benchmarking costs in 2004, as with all other current expenditure demands, will fall to be dealt with by local authorities in the context of their annual budgetary process. The amount that will be available from the local government fund for 2004 has not yet been determined.
I have not received a request from the County and City Managers Association to meet on the issue of benchmarking. In May the issue was discussed at a meeting with the association. Major issues in relation to local government financing would be an ongoing subject of discussion between my Department and the association.
311 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government if he has sent a circular letter to all local authorities directing or requesting that they increase development charges and other charges to make up their financial shortfalls; and if he also sought details of each local authority's proposals in that regard. [21358/03]
No such circular has issued.
