Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It was shocking helpful.

On the issue of funding, €46 million was paid each year for five years in various local authorities. There are wide variations. For example, in Waterford, it was almost €4.6 million last year; in Louth, it was €584,000; in Tipperary, it was €427,000; and in my county, it was €308,000. In Galway city, it was €98,000 while in Galway county, it was €10,500. There are wide variations. Council budgets will be done over the coming weeks. As the Chairman said, it is very useful to have the global valuation with regard to applying the multiplier. In my county, where the budget will be dealt with on Monday, the figure is not in the budget book yet.

I asked this question last week. I asked for us to write to the Department which, in previous correspondence, said it was actively monitoring the situation as to the impact on local authorities. Have we received a response? I want to know the impact on each local authority's budget book. The Dublin city manager, Owen Keegan, stated publicly that he had an understanding with the Minister that any shortfall would be met by Exchequer funding. It is unusual for a member of the County and City Management Association to make such a public statement. This is not happening and, as I said last week, that issue alone is leaving Dublin City Council with a substantial shortfall of €8 million. We just do not know yet what the situation will be with regard to the liability of each county and where it stands. We must remember the central allocation by the Department of Finance to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government out of the overall pool is €35 million. There is no wriggle room for the Department to try to intervene and help local authorities in this situation. They are faced with having to find it from elsewhere. Do we have a response from the Department on its active monitoring of the situation? It is well aware of the correspondence. It is keeping in contact with all of the directors of finance in each county and where we stand with regard to the overall figure for each council's budget.