Central funding to county reduced from €209m to €158m

SOUTH Dublin County Council received central funding of €158m in 2021 – a reduction of €50m in funding from 2020.

The decrease in funding from central government to local authorities nationwide last year, was mainly due to the reduction in covid support payments in 2020.

According to a report published by the Comptroller and Auditor General, up to €5.8bn in funding was transferred from central government departments to local authorities last year, down five per cent on the previous year.

The report outlines how Government funds are allocated to local authorities and the purposes for which funds have been provided.

The Echo asked the council for the total level of central funding received from central government for the years 2020 and 2021.

The council said the total in 2020 was €209,272,938 and the total in 2021 was €158,763,351.

“The reduction in funding for 2021 illustrates the level of government supports provided to the business sector during Covid 19 in 2020 which was channelled through the local authority,” said a spokesperson for South Dublin County Council.

However, the council noted there was an increase in funding for housing and roads in 2021.

The local authority received €84.57m for housing in 2021 (€81.56m in 2020), and €20.7m for roads in 2021 (€16.7m in 2020).

The C&AG report reveals that €2.8 billion of the total funds transferred from central Government to local authorities in 2021 was for housing and regeneration.

That was up from €2.5 billion the previous year.

The majority of the funds for 2021, €2.4 billion, went to the provision of social housing