Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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1508. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the updated five year financial plan submitted to him by Sligo County Council; his views on the contents of that plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32074/15]

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.

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 a long term financial plan to address these issues. My Department received a copy of a financial plan on 21 August 2015; engagement is on-going in relation to the contents of this plan and I expect my Department will issue a response to the Council shortly.