Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 196: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if it has been brought to his attention that by majority vote on 19 December 2011, the members of Sligo County Council adopted the council budget for 2012 presented by the county manager; if his attention has been drawn to comments (details supplied); if he has examined the said budget and, if so, whether he considers it an acceptable and balanced budget and sufficient to meet the proposed income and expenditure of the council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10333/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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It is a matter for each local authority, including Sligo County Council, to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. The elected members of a local authority have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which include adopting the annual budget and authorising borrowing, and are democratically accountable for all expenditure by the local authority. Under subsection 103(7) of the Local Government Act 2001, a local authority can, by resolution at a local authority budget meeting, amend a draft budget and adopt a draft budget, with or without amendment. On 19 December 2011, Sligo County Council adopted its 2012 budget, without amendment, by majority vote.

In order to enhance the financial management and audit control systems in local authorities, an audit committee, with both councillor and expert external membership, is now in place in each county and city council. The functions of an audit committee are to review financial and budgetary reporting practices and procedures within a local authority, foster the development of best practice in the internal audit function, review auditors' reports and special reports and assess follow-up action by management, assess and promote efficiency and value for money, review risk management systems and make such recommendations to the authority as the committee considers appropriate in respect of such matters.

While it is a matter for individual local authorities to manage their own day-to-day finances in a prudent and sustainable manner, at the request of the Sligo County Council, I met with a delegation from the Council on 31 January 2012 to discuss its financial position, including its 2012 budget. The Councillor, referred to in the Question, attended and contributed to this meeting. My Department is in ongoing consultation with the Council in relation to its financial position, including its 2012 budget.