Written answers

Thursday, 25 September 2008

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Local Authority Funding

5:00 pm

Photo of Willie PenroseWillie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has received a letter from the head of finance of Longford County Council setting out in great detail, the inequity that would arise from a possible decision by his Department to apply a simple uniform percentage increase or decrease from the local government grant allocation to all local authorities for 2009, which would result in the smaller authorities such as Longford and Westmeath being penalised severely; if he will give an assurance that this will not take place and that such authorities will be protected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31819/08]

Photo of John GormleyJohn Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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My Department has received the correspondence referred to in the question.

General purpose grants from the Local Government Fund are my Department's contribution to local authorities towards the cost of providing their day to day services. Local authorities' cost and income bases vary significantly from one another and calculating an appropriate distribution of general purpose grants is complex. For the purposes of allocations, a range of factors is taken into account, including each local authority's expenditure on, and income from, each service, the overall amount of funding available for distribution and the need to provide each local authority with a reasonable allocation to provide an acceptable level of services for its customers.

I will be announcing general purpose funding allocations for 2009 later this Autumn.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 241: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the recent supplementary funding made available to Clare County Council's housing section; the schemes to which this funding applies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31823/08]

Photo of Michael FinneranMichael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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A combined allocation of €1,191,450 was made to Clare County Council earlier this year for the purposes of the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, Mobility Aids Grant Scheme, and Housing Aid for Older People Scheme.

My Department has received a request from Clare County Council for additional funding under these schemes and the Council was recently notified of an additional Exchequer allocation of €500,000 towards their operation this year.

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