Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2016
532. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to provide the necessary resources to Dublin City Council to create more playgrounds, especially in the Dublin Bay North area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5041/16]
View answerMy Department does not provide specific funding to individual local authorities for playground facilities. Local authorities derive a significant proportion of their income from local sources such as commercial rates, housing rents, environmental and other charges. The balance of the funding is provided through local property tax allocations from my Department and specific State grants from a range of Departments and agencies. 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.
In relation to the playground facilities referred to in the Question, funding may be available from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, which implemented a Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation through local authorities in 2015.
