Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 February 2013
209. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will review the situation that many councils across the country are reliant on parking charges to run basic services which results in high parking charges which are one of the main contributors to the difficulties that are being experienced by retailers in town centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5481/13]
View answerLocal authority expenditure is funded from a variety of sources including specific State grants, commercial rates, housing rents, fees and charges for goods and services and general purpose grants from the Local Government Fund. I have allocated a total of €640m in general purpose grants to local authorities from the Local Government Fund for 2013. I am confident that this level of allocation, together with income from local sources, is sufficient to meet the cost of providing a reasonable level of local authority services.
It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources.
