A last-minute Government subvention of €2.75 million has enabled Galway County Council to ‘balance the books’ in their budget for 2023 without any increase in Local Property Tax (LPT) or in rates.

Councillors voted to approve the almost €158 million budget for the local authority in the coming year with spending increases approved across a number of areas, according to Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Moegie Maher (FG).

Cllr. Maher paid a special thanks to councillors, Oireachtas members and Council officials who had made the case over recent weeks and months for a ‘Galway specific’ extra allocation of funding to be made.

Galway County Council Chief Executive, Jim Cullen, told Monday’s budget meeting in County Hall that there had been an increase in overall central government funding of €14 million for 2023, €12m of which applied to annual payroll costs.

However, he pointed out that an additional allocation of €2.75m was ‘specific to Galway County Council’ but added that the local authority needed additional funding for almost all areas of expenditure.

In a report presented to the meeting by Cllr. Liam Carroll (FG), he outlined that while Budget 2023 for the Council showed an increase of over €14 million (9.8%) as compared to the 2022 figure, there was ‘no getting away from the fact that Galway Co. Council continued to be grossly under-funded’.

Cllr. Carroll said that the 2023 per capita spend [based on head of population] was just €819 for Galway, as compared to €1,354 for Galway City Council; €1,286 for Mayo Co. Council; €1,236 (Kerry); €1,052 (Donegal); €1,056 (Sligo); and €1,191 (Clare).

“With a population of 192,995 [Census ‘21], County Galway County is 55,764 ahead of Mayo; Tipperary (+25,334), Donegal (+26,674), and Kerry (+37,737).

“However, each of those other counties far exceeded the Gross Expenditure Budgets of Galway County Council in 2022. This imbalance must be corrected as a matter of urgency,” said Cllr. Carroll.

He added that only for the late allocation of €2.75m from the Dept. of Local Government, increases in housing maintenance (nearly €484,000 or 31%); almost €484,000 in community/enterprise; economic development (over €429,000) and in street cleaning (+€200,000), would not have been possible.

Cllr. Carroll said that the ‘Galway specific’ extra allocation had also made possible increases in library expenditure, the hiring of lifeguards and for maintenance work on piers and harbours.

Fianna Fail councillor, Ivan Canning, said that even with the extra €2.7m allocation, Galway County Council would not be better off in 2023 than they were this year, due to increasing energy costs and inflation.

Cllr. Gerry Finnerty (FF) said that he would support the budget on the basis of the extra allocation of funding that had been made. “I hope though that every year we won’t have to be going back and knocking on the Minister’s door for last minute funding,” he said.

An amendment to the Council’s 2023 Budget – proposed by Cllr. Joe Byrne (FG) and seconded by Cllr. Timmy Broderick (Ind.) – tabled to avert any increase in rates through 2023, was passed.

The Council Executive had proposed a rates increase of 6%, but Cllr. Byrne’s proposal [carried by 30 votes to 7] contained a four-point provision to avoid that hike.

His proposal included a reduction in the Rate Rebate of €300,000; a reduction in Bad Debt provision of €500,000; an increase in Rent from Houses of over €254,000; an allocation of €300,000 from Rates Compensation; and a transfer of €609,000 from the Council’s capital fund.

Independent North Galway Councillor, Declan Geraghty, said that any increase in rates would be unthinkable in the current economic climate. “Do you realise the pressure that shops and small businesses across towns and villages are under – get real,” said Cllr. Geraghty.