Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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540. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if a senior official from his Department (details supplied) met in County Sligo on 18 February 2015 with officials and elected members of Sligo County Council to discuss the council’s financial difficulties; the date his Department arranged the meeting; the number of days advance notice of the meeting that was provided to the council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10326/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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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 to address these issues.

As part of this process, I held a constructive meeting, on 3 February 2015, with a delegation of Members from Sligo County Council and the Council’s Senior Management Team to discuss the financial situation. Arising from this engagement, and as part of my Department’s continuing consultation with Sligo County Council, it was proposed at that meeting that an official of my Department would visit Sligo to further engage on these issues. Three dates (11, 17 or 18 February) were initially proposed to the Chief Executive of Sligo County Council on 5 February. The date of the meeting (18 February) was finally confirmed between my Department and the Chief Executive of the Council on 16 February 2015.