Dublin local government funding
The Leader responded to criticism of Dublin City Council by defending local responsibility and noting that councillors had reduced property tax, contributing to the deficit. Senator McDowell challenged that defence and argued the gap was already being widened by poor budgeting.
I thank the 16 Members of the House for their contributions on the Order of Business. The issue of Dublin City Council was raised by Senators Ardagh, Boyhan, McDowell and Humphreys. I will facilitate a debate on the future of local government and its importance at the earliest convenience with regard to the Minister being available.
A lot of misinformation has been spread about Dublin City Council this morning. All of us recognise the importance of local government and the need to provide funding to it, but let us have the honest debate people are speaking about and let us not have it in a populist way. Dublin City Council reduced its local property tax by 15%. That is a significant-----
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Because it was too high to start with.
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Senator McDowell is becoming an election candidate already. If he wants to declare, he should just do so now, put the white flag up and go out of the traps altogether. Let us be fair. Do we want the Government to do everything? Where is our sense of responsibility at local level? Members of Dublin City Council voted to reduce property tax and there is a deficit. That €12 million would have filled the gap. There are issues raised with regard to the local property tax and Senator McDowell has a very strong view on it. The Minister has put the issue back to the committee, which will come back with a report in 2021. The 15% reduction means it went from €80 million to €68 million. Half a reduction would have provided the €6 million.
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It was 15% off last year also.
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There is the deficit plugged already. Let us have a real debate about the issue of local government and-----