David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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297. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if local authorities can invest in capital infrastructure at regional airports; if there are rules or limitations on such investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20521/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The elected members of a local authority have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which includes adopting the annual budget and authorising borrowing, and are democratically accountable for all expenditure by the local authority. As such, it is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources.

Local authority borrowing is subject to the provisions of the Local Government Act 2001; borrowing is a reserved function under Section 106 and requires the sanction of the appropriate Minister. Borrowing proposals must be submitted to the relevant Minister together with a resolution of the local authority members approving the proposed borrowing. All borrowing by local authorities is subject to the overall limits which are set by the Government from time to time in the context of the General Government Balance (GGB). Local authorities are required to maintain balanced revenue and capital accounts within the year to ensure that GGB neutrality is achieved.

I understand from my colleague the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport that the National Aviation Policy welcomes support for regional airports from local interests, be they local authorities or businesses. However, any such decision is solely a matter for the local authorities concerned, within the parameters set out above. As with all expenditure, local authorities must comply with the relevant requirements of the Public Spending Code, which is available at .