Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 1338: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will allocate extra funding to Clare County Council to redress the shortfall in the 2008 Local Government Fund allocation to Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1418/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I am providing some €999.2m in general purpose grants from the Local Government Fund to local authorities for 2008. These grants are my contribution to local authorities to meet the difference between the cost to them of providing an acceptable level of day to day services and the income available to them from local sources and from specific grants. The amount being made available for general purpose grants this year represents an increase of some €51.5m, or 5.4%, over the amount provided for 2007 and continues the trend of providing additional general funding to local authorities.

Clare County Council's general purpose allocation for 2008 is €16,476,569, an increase of 5.13% over the 2007 allocation. General purpose grants to Clare County Council have increased by some 460% since 1997 which is more than twice the average increase to local authorities over that period.

I am satisfied that the general purpose allocation I have provided to the Council for 2008, together with the income available to it from other sources, will enable the Council to provide an acceptable level of services to its customers.