Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

Section 15(1) provides, "A county council shall, each year, make a payment to each town council within the county". Should it be prescribed in the legislation that this happen within a certain timeframe? The date of collection will be 31 March next year but a local authority does not have to hand the money over to a town council until December of that year. There might be late payments but should the payment be made within a month of the deadline and the late fees be paid the following year? I am thinking of Senator Glynn's comment about the large town councils in whose area there are many rental properties. County councillors might hold onto the money because they know that having money in the bank is a major issue for local authorities which have overdrafts with high interest rates and so on. The speedy release of money is a big issue for county and town councils.