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Chief Executive relays concerns over DOE funding cuts to Council
Following central government budget cuts, the Chief Executive of Strabane District Council, Mr Philip Faithfull today confirmed that DOE funding to Strabane District Council has been cut by a further £110,000 this year with further cuts “not ruled out”.
This is the second time in 8 months that DOE have reduced the grant aid to the 18 poorest Councils in Northern Ireland. Describing the cuts locally as “significant and far reaching” he called on central government to immediately review this decision according to the principles of Targeting Social Need and Equality.
“Strabane District Council has one of the lowest wealth bases of all district Councils in Northern Ireland and is therefore experiencing the impact of the current economic crisis more acutely than others. Reducing government subvention into this area will perpetuate the legacy of unemployment, child poverty, disadvantage and ill health experienced here.”
“Notwithstanding the impact of the economic crisis elsewhere, we as senior policy makers have a responsibility to ensure that those who are most marginalised in society are protected and do not suffer unfairly. Government has a moral duty to address the gap between the rich and the poor.”
“Like all public bodies, Strabane District Council is currently re-assessing its budget as a result of the current economic climate. The management team are committed to enhancing value for money for all ratepayers but it is difficult to profile expenditure when the goalposts are constantly changing.”
Calling on this decision to be reviewed he added: “This cut in revenue was not budgeted for by Strabane District Council when preparing the estimates. It will undoubtedly affect our ability to deliver services to ratepayers this year. To avoid further increases in rates locally, government investment into the Strabane District Council area must be sustained and the resources element of the general grant retained” He said.
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Notes to editors
1. The resources element of the general grant is allocated to 18 Councils in Northern Ireland to compensate for deprivation, lack of employment and scarcity of population. A weighted formula is used to calculate the amount of funding which should be allocated to each council to ensure that all councils have equal levels of revenue. Strabane District Council is annually given a significant percentage of this funding as it is the most deprived, it has a large landmass and one of the lowest population densities in Northern Ireland.
2. Prior to the cuts, Strabane District Council has received £2m from the resources element of the general grant. It now shall receive £1.76m.
3. These cuts equate to 2.5% cut in Councils overall operating budget.
For further information please contact:
Rachelle Craig
Corporate Policy Officer
Strabane District Council
47 Derry Road
Strabane
Co. Tyrone
N. Ireland
BT82 8DY
Tel: 028 7138 1341
Email: rcraig@strabanedc.com
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