Local Authority Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021

Wednesday, 21 April 2021

Questions (768)

Colm Burke

Question:

768. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding community funding allocated by local authorities; if such funding can be allocated by a local authority to a sports or community group including for capital works in circumstances in which all the members are residing in that local authority area but the sports grounds or premises which they own are in a different local authority area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19799/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

My Department does not have direct involvement in the executive functions carried out by a local authority. 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. The elected members of a local authority have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which include adopting the annual revenue budget, and are democratically accountable for all expenditure by the local authority.

Neither the Local Government Act 2001, nor the Local Government (Reform) Act 2014, are prescriptive on the issue of expenditure on initiatives outside the boundary of the local authority in question.