The Government recently announced a new package of measures relating to water charges and financing of Irish Water. As part of the package of measures I announced a changed approach to the treatment of water infrastructure for commercial rates purposes such that Government subvention does not need to be paid to Irish Water to fund this cost, and can instead be redirected to provide equivalent funding directly to local authorities, through the Local Government Fund, in respect of rates income foregone. A breakdown of the amounts paid to local authorities in 2014 is set out in the following table.
Local Authority
|
€'000
|
Carlow County Council
|
52
|
Cavan County Council
|
24
|
Clare County Council
|
219
|
Cork City Council
|
850
|
Cork County Council
|
1,535
|
Donegal County Council
|
415
|
Dublin City Council
|
13,820
|
Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown
|
3,420
|
Fingal County Council
|
6,573
|
Galway City Council
|
30
|
Galway County Council
|
50
|
Kerry County Council
|
589
|
Kildare County Council
|
2,210
|
Kilkenny County Council
|
169
|
Laois County Council
|
142
|
Leitrim County Council
|
nil
|
Limerick County Council
|
762
|
Longford County Council
|
95
|
Louth County Council
|
581
|
Mayo County Council
|
198
|
Meath County Council
|
261
|
Monaghan County Council
|
96
|
Offaly County Council
|
15
|
Roscommon County Council
|
nil
|
Sligo County Council
|
136
|
South Dublin County Council
|
8,518
|
Tipperary County Council
|
760
|
Waterford County Council
|
4,485
|
Westmeath County Council
|
69
|
Wexford County Council
|
130
|
Wicklow County Council
|
2,521
|
Total
|
48,725
|
Irish Water, in calculating the estimated requirements of €59 million for 2015 included in their submission to the Commission for Energy Regulation, allowed for possible revaluations of water services infrastructure by local authorities. My Department will engage with local authorities to agree the payments to the authorities concerned from the Local Government Fund, following the conclusion of the local authority budgetary process for 2015.