Seanad debates
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Adjournment Debate
Road Network
8:55 pm
John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source
The Minister has made it clear that local communities have an opportunity to get involved. Many people on back to work schemes are anxious to get involved in generic schemes in their localities. The proportion of funding that is being made available by county councils is much less than the proportion of funding being allocated by the Government. I am not fully certain where Senator Byrne got the €400 million figure that he mentioned when he spoke about the IMF agreement. The information available to me suggests that those figures are incorrect.
I do not doubt that the local government reform process will create opportunities for autonomy at local level. Elected councillors will be able to make funding allocations from moneys collected in their local areas. Up to 65% of those moneys will be maintained in the areas where they are collected. That is the intention of the Minister, Deputy Hogan, as he devolves responsibility to elected members.
It is easy to whinge and ask the Government for more money. It is up to elected councillors, county managers and the local executive to deal with their business locally. If they cannot match the funds that are provided by the State, it is very hard for the Government to keep supplementing them. As we reform local government over the next 12 months, we will give every local authority a unique opportunity to manage its own business, which is as it should be.
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