Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 July 2021
226. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the level of funding under the six main headings provided to Carlow County Council and by comparison to three other councils similar in size and profile to Carlow over the past ten years; if Carlow County Council has been underfunded by his Department in this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35615/21]
View answerThe funding system for local authorities is complex, with authorities deriving their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services and funding from Central Government. It is a matter for each local authority to consider how it can maximise local income sources and manage its own spending, in the context of the annual budgetary process. Most of the funding from Central Government must be used for specified services. These can be grouped into 5 broad programme categories: recreational, education, environment, housing and transport. In relation to funding streams specifically from my Department, €41.9m and €44.5m was provided to Carlow County Council in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
I refer to the unprecedented support for local authorities during the COVID pandemic. In 2020, Carlow County Council applied a 100% commercial rates waiver to almost 2,000 ratepayers and recouped €7.62m in that regard from my Department. In addition, in recognition of COVID related income losses, and additional COVID related expenditure incurred in 2020, my Department provided funding of €1.33 m to Carlow County Council. The Government has introduced a commercial rates waiver for 2021, which has been extended to end of September, at an estimated cost €480 m. As has been the case since the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, my Department will continue to engage with the local government sector and with individual local authorities on the financial impacts of the pandemic and provide them with the necessary financial supports.
Local authorities vary significantly from one another in terms of size, population, population distribution, public service demands, infrastructure and other income sources, all factors which should be taken into account when comparing levels of funding in different local authority areas. If the Deputy wishes to clarify the details of the specific headings on which he seeks information and the names of the local authorities with which he wishes to compare Carlow County Council, I will endeavour to provide the information requested. However, it is important to note that I can provide information with regard to funding streams from my Department only.
