Cuts likely unless Household Charge payments improve

Added: 31-07-2012

The Donegal County Manager says unless there is a significant improvement in the rate of payment of the Household Charge within the county-then the Local Authority will have to deal with the inevitability of having a reduced local government fund for this year.

 

Yesterday, Donegal County Council was told that its allocation from the Local Government Fund is to be cut by 13 per cent to reflect the number of people in the county who haven't paid the Household Charge.

 

A letter from the Department of the Environment and Local Government says the initial grant of just under 31 million euro is being cut by just over 4 million euro, based on a 47 per cent level of compliance with the charge.

 

The letter says the level of funding will be revisited in the fourth quarter to reflect changes, including progress on securing more Household Charge payments in the coming months.

 

In an interview on the North West Today programme, the County Manager Seamus Neely says if there isn't an improvement -then there will be cuts.