Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

207. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts of grants allocated to each local authority in each of the past three years; the basis on which these allocations were made; and if he will publish the criteria, data, or other factors which determined the amount awarded to each local authority. [35009/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department has a wide and diverse business agenda, including protecting the environment, providing necessary housing supports and fostering community and rural development in partnership with local government and other local development bodies. In order to deliver on this broad business agenda, my Department allocates significant resources to a wide range of organisations, including local authorities, as well as dedicated agencies, non-statutory bodies and individuals. Since 1 January 2013, some €1.7 billion has been transferred through the Vote of my Department to local authorities and a further €1.47 billion has been transferred to local authorities from the Local Government Fund. A breakdown of the funds transferred each year from my Department and from the Local Government Fund to local authorities is set out in the tables below.

The funding transferred from the Local Government Fund includes General Purpose Grant payments which formerly represented the Department’s contribution towards meeting the cost to local authorities of providing a reasonable level of services to their customers. The 2014 figures recognise the removal of water related costs from local authorities in 2014 and are therefore not directly comparable to previous years’ funding. In 2015, General Purpose Grants were replaced by Local Property Tax allocations. The Local Government Fund is also used to fund projects to improve the efficiency and quality of local authority services, shared service initiatives, and miscellaneous projects which support local government.

A more detailed breakdown of this expenditure than that provided in the tables is not readily available in my Department and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work. If the Deputy wishes to put down a more specific question concerning funding for a specific purpose from my Department, I will endeavour to provide the information sought.