TUAM CLLR HITS OUT AT CUTS DESPITE LOCAL AUTHORITY SAVINGS

Date Published: 16-Aug-2012

A Galway Cllr has hit out at cuts to the local authority and says savings and efficiencies achieved by the county council, will not benefit the community.

Tuam Cllr Sean Canney has praised council officials for the 5 million euro in savings made in the 12 month period to the end of March.

This was achieved by cutting staff by 25 percent and reducing the revenue budget from 160 million to 136 million euro in 2012.

However Cllr Canney says cuts of 3.1 million euro to the third quarter allocation of the local government fund has left the county council in an embarassing situation, where previously agreed funding commitments can no longer be met.

This involves various community groups who had relied of provisionally agreed amenity grants.

The 3 million cut is related to the compliance rate of payment of the Household Charge, which in the county currently stands at 59 percent.

Speaking on Galway Talks, Cllr Canney says local services will suffer despite Galway County Council's intense focus on making savings and efficiencies this year: