Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Let me tell the Minister of State what the property tax has done for Meath. When former Minister, Phil Hogan, brought in the local property tax, he said local authorities were going to keep 80% of it. He did not say he was going to do away with every other Government grant that the local authority was getting. The people of Meath paid an additional €18 million in property tax but their services have not been increased by one cent because every other Government grant was taken away.

In 1996 the population of Meath was 110,000 people while today it is more than 200,000. This is the highest rate of population growth in the State since 1996. Expenditure per person is an agreed standard for measuring the level of service a local authority can provide. Meath County Council is under significant pressure to meet the service delivery needs of the population. How can Meath County Council deliver the services needed in the county with 61% of the national average funding from central government funds or a shortfall of €72 million per year? I am asking the Minister of State to bring local government funding for County Meath up to the national average?

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