Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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152. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount of funding allocated to Wexford County Council in order to deal with the impact of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19429/20]

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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156. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount of funding allocated to each local authority under the Covid-19 support scheme for local authorities; the estimated deficit expected for each local authority in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19433/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 152, 156, 160 and 164 together.

In terms of measures taken by my Department to assist local authorities with the financial challenges they are experiencing since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, as a short term measure €136 million was made available to local authorities as cash flow support in early April, in order to ensure that vital services that local authorities deliver could be maintained. This support comprised an early payment of the Local Property Tax (LPT) allocation ordinarily paid from the Local Government Fund in May and July. Further to these measures, my Department arranged for the payment of 50% of each local authority’s individual Payroll and PSPR allocation, amounting to €54.8m, in mid-June. This interim payment would ordinarily be paid later in July.

To support both the local government sector and the ratepayers impacted, €600m has been allocated by Government to fund the cost of a waiver of commercial rates for six months to the end of September 2020 for eligible businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This will take the form of a credit in lieu of rates.

It is recognised that additional costs are being incurred by local authorities in relation to Covid-19. Local authorities have been advised to capture all related costs in their financial systems to aid future financial analysis of the impact of Covid-19 on the local government sector. The full financial impacts and estimated potential deficits for 2020 have not yet been fully quantified by the local authorities. In order to support the sector generally, my Department continues to keep local authority income, expenditure and cash flow under review and will continue to work with all local authorities, both collectively and individually, on issues arising, including those issues facing both Cork City Council and Wexford County Council.