Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 222: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he proposes to take to provide adequate funding to Kildare County Council in view of the ongoing and increasing demands in a developing area; if his attention has been drawn to staff reductions in the local authorities and the expected impact on delivery of services to the consumer; his proposals for the future in respect of these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4139/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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General purpose grants from the Local Government Fund are provided to supplement the income available to local authorities from local sources and from specific grants to enable them to provide an acceptable level of day to day services. It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to locally identified needs. I am satisfied that the level of funding provided through general purpose grants makes a significant contribution towards enabling all local authorities to provide a reasonable level of services to the public. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each County and City Manager is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. Kildare County Council's general purpose grant allocation for 2009 is €26,610,812. General purpose grants to Kildare County Council have increased by some 206% since 1997, which is higher than the average increase to local authorities over that period.