Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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421. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Sligo County Council has been incurring revenue deficits over the past six years and that the cumulative revenue debt now stands at €19.67 million while the council's long-term debt is in excess of €120 million; if his Department has received the council's long-term financial plan which the Department asked to be submitted on or before 24 January 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46964/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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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.

The continued deterioration of Sligo County Council’s financial position is of serious concern to me. While it is a matter for individual local authorities to manage their own day-to-day finances in a prudent and sustainable manner, my Department is in regular consultation with the Council in relation to its financial position, including in relation to the agreement of a long term financial plan; this process is ongoing.