Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 July 2020
320. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the extra supports that will be provided to local authority leisure centres to allow them to reopen and operate fully without being at a financial loss as a result of the extra requirements placed on them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17059/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no function in this matter. Funding and policy responsibility at a local level rests with the local authorities and at national level with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. Local authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services and funding from Central Government. Central Government funding of local authorities includes transfers, both current and capital, from a range of Departments and Offices for a variety of purposes. In relation to the provision of leisure centres in their areas, local authorities would ordinarily seek such central Government funding from the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport, as my Department has no direct role in that policy function.
I intend to continue to support measures taken by my Department to assist local authorities with the financial challenges they are experiencing since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a short term measure €136m was made available to local authorities as cash flow support in early April, in order to ensure that vital services that local authorities deliver can be maintained. This support was comprised of the early payment of the LPT allocation ordinarily paid from the Local Government Fund in May and July. Further to these measures, my Department arranged for the payment of 50% of each local authority’s individual Payroll and PSPR allocation, amounting to €54.8m, in mid-June. This interim payment would ordinarily be paid later in July.
On 2 May 2020, a waiver of commercial rates was announced for businesses that were forced to close due to public health requirements, from 27 March 2020, for a three-month period. This issue is under active consideration in the context of the July stimulus.
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 future financial analysis of the impact of Covid-19 on the local government sector. In order to support the sector generally, I will ensure my Department continues to keep local authority income, expenditure and cash flow under review and will continue to work with all local authorities, both collectively and individually, on issues arising.
