Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
736. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total Covid-19-related spend in 2020 by his Department, agency and budget line item; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16276/21]
View answerMy Department supports a wide range of programmes and schemes, delivered by a number of stakeholders including the 31 local authorities.
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic required a whole of Government approach that was flexible, adaptive and responsive to the changing situation. For the most part, my Department utilised its existing Voted budget and ensured that the correct and targeted resources were deployed, at the correct time, to areas under severe pressure as a result of the pandemic. In certain cases, additional funding was required for specific areas including:
Commercial rates waiver
Commercial rates are a significant element of local authority income and, importantly, are the primary source of general purpose funding, from which local authorities fund payroll, debt repayment and, crucially, match funding or own-resource contributions to central programmes and initiatives to support local economic activity and development. Commercial rates are based on the valuation applied to the premises of the business concerned.
In response to the issues faced by rate payers due to COVID-19, a Commercial Rates Waiver of €600m for eligible businesses was allocated to cover the 6 month period from March to September 2020.
In Budget 2021, the Government announced an extension of the waiver for the final quarter of the year (until end of December 2020) at an additional cost of €300m. In total, some €900m was allocated by Government to fund the cost of this waiver for nine months to the end of December, for eligible businesses. This unprecedented measure provided support to businesses and certainty to our local authorities
July Stimulus
Additional funding was provided as part of the Government’s July Jobs Stimulus to help reignite the economy following the impact of COVID-19. This included:
- €43m for Irish Water Leakage Reduction Programme and capital maintenance works- this was enhanced with a further €44m announced during Budget 2021;
- €40m for refurbishing vacant social housing units and returning them to productive use; and
- €8.5m for investment in the Heritage area, including to upgrade and enhance recreational and visitor facilities at National Parks, Heritage Sites and Nature Reserves.
Increased provision for Homelessness
Additional funding of €60m for Homelessness services was provided in the Supplementary Estimate 2020. A critical focus of 2020 activity was on preventing homelessness in the first instance while also reducing the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Ensuring the protection of households experiencing homelessness during COVID-19 has been a priority. This funding allowed for additional accommodation to be put in place to ensure the necessary social distancing in emergency accommodation and the provision of accommodation to allow for the self-isolation of individuals when required.
