Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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401. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department will cover income losses incurred by Clare County Council as a result of the Cliffs of Moher site being closed and fewer vehicles parking in council-controlled parking zones; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37000/20]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department has engaged extensively with representatives of the local government sector and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform over recent months concerning the financial challenges facing local authorities as a consequence of the pandemic.

€600m was allocated by Government to fund the cost of a six-month waiver of rates from 27 March to 27 September 2020, which took the form of a credit in lieu of rates.  To strengthen this support, the Government subsequently announced an extension of the waiver until 27 December 2020, at an additional cost of €300m. This brings to €900m the financial support to fund the cost of a waiver of commercial rates, which is an unprecedented measure that offers support to both businesses and to local authorities.

It is not yet possible to fully calculate the loss of income across the local government sector for the whole of 2020. However, the matter is under consideration in my Department and will be reviewed by in the coming weeks, when the full extent of the financial impact for 2020 becomes clear.