State Bodies
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-23
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Robert Troy (FF), Longford-Westmeath

I again thank the Deputies for raising this issue. As acknowledged by the Deputies across the Chamber, I am taking this on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Browne. I will conclude by acknowledging the current financial environment in which all local authorities, including Galway County Council, are operating and the pressures facing them in respect of general inflation and higher costs. I get that from my own local authority as well. Recently, the Department has received representations from the Galway County Council executive and elected members in relation to its LPT allocation and baseline. The baseline has been increased twice in just three years, as I mentioned in my earlier contribution. The intention is that baselines will be reviewed every five years in line with the updated census data, as well as periodic reviews in line with LPT revaluation cycles. It would not be appropriate or equitable to examine the baselines of individual authorities outside these sector-wide reviews.
Furthermore, it is important to note that the LPT allocation represents just 12% of Galway County Council's revenue income in 2025. It is a finite income source, being dependent on the level of LPT collected in Galway and across the State. Therefore, the scope for significant increases is limited. With this in mind, Galway County Council must ensure that it is effectively leveraging all funding opportunities at its disposal and identify where it can increase its allocation by seeking more funding for projects that are ready to be delivered from the range of available funding calls. It is important also to focus on locally raised income sources. I know the council has made significant progress in this area in recent years.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:06+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-23