Dáil debates

Thursday, 1 December 2022

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions

Local Authorities

9:54 am

Photo of Paul McAuliffePaul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the commitment to review the baselines. If I heard correctly this will be done in advance of the 2024 budget process. Local government funding is a bit of a dark art. I spent ten years in local government and I still cannot get my head around a lot of it.

It is about retaining the local property tax in that locality, because if people pay the tax, they expect those services in that area. While some counties may need more funding, that is a matter for national government, not local government. This is a new concept in this country, but we have to make sure we stick to the principle.

Unfortunately, because of baseline funding that sets the level of self-funding, while the property tax gathered will stay in the county, the problem is that grants will be reduced, to the tune of approximately €52 million in Dublin city and by a similar figure in Fingal. We are letting councils keep 100% of the property tax but we are reducing the other grants they have. I welcome the review because it will address that situation.

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