Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 5, line 8, to delete “and the” and substitute “, the”.

Amendments Nos. 2 and 3 are technical amendments which amend the Long Title of the Bill to allow for amendment No. 20. Amendment No. 20 enables the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to make the required payment from the local government fund to the Exchequer, as envisaged in the Revised Estimates volume in 2015. Amendment No. 20 updates subsection (2C) of the Local Government Reform Act 2014 and changes the provisions in section 6 of the Local Government Act 1998, which provides powers to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to make payments from the local government fund. In this respect, it is necessary to provide specifically for the legislative underpinning of the required transfer of funding to the Exchequer. The transfer to the Exchequer is in respect of 2015 only and will be for a maximum amount of €540 million. In 2014, the legislation provided that up to €600 million of local government fund income could be transferred from the fund to the Exchequer. Some €520 million was transferred last year and in 2013, €100 million was transferred. Subsection (2C) continues to provide that in determining the payment to the Exchequer regard must be had to the balance in the fund when all commitments have been made. The projected income to the local government fund for 2015 is in excess of €1.84 billion. The amendment ensures an appropriate contribution is being made to the Exchequer in recognition of the State finances generally.

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