COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, July 14, 2014

QUESTION NO.49

QUESTION: Councillor Francis Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive will the Property tax be given to the council for 2014 - 2015, if yes what percentage will be given? And will the budget be decreased or increased if the property tax is given to the council?

REPLY:

The following reply has been received from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government in response to your questions:

"Allocations of General Purpose Grants to local authorities from the Local Government Fund for 2014, which will be funded from the proceeds of Local Property Tax and Motor Tax, have already been communicated to local authorities. The Government has indicated an intention to move to 80% retention of all Local Property Tax (LPT) receipts within the local authority area where the tax is raised.

In 2015, local authorities will be required to implement changes to their budget process arising from EU obligations, which will require them to prepare draft budget strategies by the end of September 2014 and they will have the power to vary Local Property Tax basic rates by up to 15%, again by the end of September 2014. Together with recent changes to the water services funding model in the State, these are significant changes to the overall local government funding model and it is essential that the impacts are fully assessed and that the effect on overall Exchequer funding is managed appropriately.  Decisions in relation to funding for 2015 have yet to be taken.

The Department of Environment, Community and Local Government will continue to work with local authorities to ensure that they have an appropriate level of information, including in relation to LPT retention, to facilitate their budget process for 2015."