Joan Collins
Question:446. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in the local government auditors statutory report on the accounts of Sligo County Council for the year ended 31 December 2011, the Sligo County Manager states that the council's 2012 budget was agreed on the assumption that a sum of €4 million income in the draft budget would arise through effective savings by way of redeployment or voluntary transfer opportunities and from a significant voluntary redundancy package; the county manager further stated that because of the exceptional nature of these matters it was decided to show the financial impact as income rather than for the €4 million to be reduced from budgeted payroll charges across all programmes; if at any time in advance of the council's draft budget being published in December 2011 his Department stated that a significant voluntary redundancy package would be introduced in 2012; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Sligo County Manager has stated that the 2012 financial outturn for the council is projected to be a deficit of approximately €2.5 million; if his Department has any role in ensuring that local authorities prepare realistic, achievable budgets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56835/12]
View answer