Councillors from Waterford have been told that the government will not be increasing funding to the local authority this year.
Waterford Council received an extra €2 million in recent weeks to offset the revaluation of Irish Water rates however, they're still facing a €1.3 million deficit.
A delegation travelled to Leinster House this afternoon to meet Minister of State John Paul Phelan to ask for further funding.
Just out interactive & challenging meet @JPPhelan with @WaterfordCounci delegation on #budget shortfall! All Cllrs gave good account of economic situation & need for greater contribution. Bottom line 33% of Ministers discretionary fund allocated #Waterford & there’s no more €s pic.twitter.com/ZyuToxIQzO
— Eddie Mulligan (@MulliganEddie) December 5, 2019
Fianna Fail's Eddie Mulligan says all councillors present made a very good case for Waterford.
"The Minister and his department were sympathetic and extended empathy to what we were saying, they spelt out to us that they had no more money to give us.
"He spoke about how his discretionary funding was only €6 million for the department and he had allocated €2 million of that to Waterford, which is one-third of his budget.
"He acknowledged the fact that there is no comparison between Dublin and Waterford and that's the reason that he is giving €2 million to Waterford."
Independent Councillor Joe Kelly was disappointed:
"Going up to the meeting I was hopeful that the minister would come up with something else, in my head I had a figure of maybe €300,000 or €400,000 additional. That would bring us back to the million mark to close or maybe €900,000 and we would manage that.
"Unfortunately we're now in the place we were before we went up.
"All councillors present, we all put a very strong case forward.
"Minister John Paul Phelan simply said 'I only have €6 million, I've already given €2 million to Waterford'. He said 'I just cannot add any more'.
"I specifically asked him if could go to the Department of Finance however, he said that would not be possible."
It's clear that there is no political will within the confidence-and-supply Government to do right by Waterford.
Fine...
Posted by Conor D. McGuinness on Thursday, December 5, 2019
