COUNTY COUNCIL TO RESTORE GRANTS TO OLDER PEOPLE BY REDUCING EXPENDITURE

Date Published: 23-Oct-2012

Galway County Council has reversed an earlier decision to suspend grants to older people and people with disabilities.

The decision to withold payment of these grants was taken in the summer months when the Department of the Environment advised of cuts to the local government fund due to the level of non-compliance with the household charge.

The allocation of 2.4 million in mobility aid grants has however now been restored as well as 400 thousand euro in funding grants in the areas of community and enterprise and burial ground maintenance.

The reversal has been made possible following a reduction in expenditure budgets which will see Galway County Council's provision for capital funding this year cut in half from 300 thousand for 2012 to 150 thousand.

Water Services, Environmental Services and Central Management are among the other areas to also have their budgets scaled back.

The local government fund cut of almost 780 thousand euro was imposed due to the level of compliance with the household charge which has since rised to almost 65 percent.

Head of Finance with Galway County Council Ger Mullarkey says although the budget reductions were difficult, it means key grant areas are now restored.