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Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 December 2020

Thursday, 3 December 2020

Questions (209)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

209. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funding excluding commercial rates waiver funding that will be provided to each local authority to make up the loss of revenue and the additional costs associated with the Covid-19 pandemic in tabular form. [40800/20]

View answer

Written answers

My Department has engaged extensively with representatives of the local government sector and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform over recent months concerning the financial challenges facing local authorities as a consequence of the pandemic.

€600m was allocated by Government to fund the cost of a six-month waiver of rates from 27 March to 27 September 2020, which took the form of a credit in lieu of rates. To strengthen this support, the Government subsequently announced an extension of the waiver until 27 December 2020, at an additional cost of €300m. This brings to €900m the financial support to fund the cost of a waiver of commercial rates, which is an unprecedented measure that offers support to both businesses and local authorities.

It is recognised that additional costs are being incurred by local authorities in relation to Covid-19. Local authorities have been advised to capture all related costs in their financial systems to aid financial analysis of the impact of Covid-19 on the local government sector. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has also sanctioned the distribution of any unused funds from the overall rates waiver allocation to the sector to help meet the costs associated with the response to the pandemic and to help minimise the impact of reductions in other local authority income streams. This process will be not be complete until early 2021.

As has been the case since the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, my Department will continue to engage regularly and constructively with the local government sector and with individual local authorities on the financial impacts of the pandemic and other matters arising. Finally, I am pleased to note that every local authority in the country has now adopted their 2021 revenue budget.

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