IMMEDIATE government action has been called for to tackle a €6.4 million funding deficit for Limerick City and County Council in rates collected this year.
Sinn Féin councillor Sharon Benson was responding to confirmation from council officials that 60 per cent of commercial rate payers have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. They also confirmed to the City North representative that additional expenditure has been incurred in the areas such as ICT costs, PPE equipment, facilities, fire services, emergency supports for homeless and vulnerable households as well as community support and response.
“The scale of this crisis is unprecedented and demands an urgent response from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG). Without ring-fenced additional funding we will be looking at cuts to vital services and planned capital projects in the last quarter of this year and beyond at the very time when there has never been a greater need for additional supports to bring our economy back to life,” Cllr Benson commented.
She also raised concerns that a failure to make up this revenue shortfall will be used a means by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to “bring in austerity by the back door” through cuts to basic services.
“Given the already inadequate funding for services such as housing maintenance this will have serious consequences for our city and communities.
“Frankly we need to see a far greater degree of urgency on behalf of both council management and government. We are drifting towards a situation where we will be told there is no alternative to cutbacks.”
