Madam, - In recent letters about the redevelopment of Dun Laoghaire baths several writers have referred inaccurately to local government financing. Given the paucity of accurate reporting on local government issues they were understandably of the opinion that local government is somehow bankrolled by central government.
It may interest your readers to know that in the Dublin City Council area for 2006 the local government grant will amount to approximately €92 million, or 11.68 per cent of the annual budget.
Other Government grants amount to approximately €112 million, or 14.14 per cent.
Together these bring the total Government grant to €204 million, or 25.79 per cent of current expenditure.
In contrast, Dublin City Council last year remitted to Government more than €140 million from motor tax payments, nearly €48 million in PAYE and €29 million in PRSI payments.
When you add all this to the €76 million that the Government ordered us to pay in benchmarking costs without a cent contributed by the same Government and the €27 million it owes and refuses to pay in rates on Government properties a very different picture begins to emerge altogether.
The Government-commissioned Indecon Report on Local Government Financing offered the beginnings of a way forward on this issue. Unfortunately the Government binned it within minutes of its publication.
We need a real debate on local government and its financing - and we need it as soon as possible. - Yours, etc,
Cllr DERMOT LACEY, Beech Hill Drive, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.