I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 163 together.
The rate support grant payments for each county council and each county borough corporation for the years 1980 to date are set out in the following table.
Valid comparisons between the annual rate support grant allocations are not possible due to the many adjustments in local financial arrangements since 1986, including the elimination of levies and statutory demands, the writing-off of Local Loans Fund debt repayments, the provision for direct rate payments by the ESB to local authorities. For these reasons, and the assumptions which would have to be made relating to variations in rate levels, standards of collection and valuation of domestic property, any attempt to estimate the potential receipts from domestic rates, had they not been abolished, would be highly speculative.
Rate Support Grant.