COUNTY COUNCILLORS SLAM PLANS TO CUT BUDGET

Date Published: 20-Jul-2012

Galway County Councillors say plans to cut up to 3 million euro from the local authority budget will have a huge impact on already streched resources.

The contentious issue is being debated at a meeting of the County Council that’s currently underway in County Buildings on Prospect Hill.

Environment Minister Phil Hogan issued a circular on suggested cuts to ALL local authorities yesterday, the last Dail sitting prior to summer recess.

It’s feared Galway County Council will have to deal with cuts of up to 3 million euro to its local government fund of 28 million.

Meanwhile, Galway City Council is facing a cut of almost 500 thousand euro to its 2012 local Government fund of 5 point 99 million.

Speaking to GBFM news at this afternoons meeting- Councillor Mary Hoade said the cuts will have serious repercussions for the county.

County Manager Martina Maloney says the cut to the fund is related to the level of compliance to the household charge received to date which is 56%.

Speaking at the meeting she said that the cuts won’t affect contracts that have been signed but could probably affect contracts in the pipeline.

The local Government fund is financed by Motor Tax, the Household Charge and NPPR, and funds services such as roads, and street cleaning.

Councillor Sean Canney says the cuts puts the Council in a difficult position