Property Tax Administration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2015

Tuesday, 17 February 2015

Questions (479)

Olivia Mitchell

Question:

479. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the local property tax allocation to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council; the amount by which this sum exceeds the general purposes grant of 2014; the amount of that excess which can be used for discretionary purposes; the amount which is to be allocated from the excess to the housing and road areas in order to release central Government funding for other purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6994/15]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

In accordance with the Government's decisions in relation to local retention of Local Property Tax, my Department has notified Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council of a revised provisional Local Property Tax (LPT) allocation of €34,757,156 for 2015. This allocation takes into account the passing of a resolution by the elected members to vary the basic rate of local property tax downwards by 15% for 2015, which had the effect of reducing the amount of the 2015 LPT allocation by €8,020,882. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council received a General Purposes Grant (GPG) of €5,724,579 from the Local Government Fund in 2014. Accordingly, the revised LPT allocation for 2015 exceeds the 2014 General Purposes Grant by €29,032,577.

Based on its surplus position when expected 2015 LPT receipts are compared to GPG allocations 2014, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will be required to self-fund some services in Housing and Roads areas to the value of €26,358,950. It is a matter for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to decide how to spend the remaining €8,398,206, in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources.