O’Connor criticises lack of government funding to local authorities

The Green Party’s Spokesperson on Planning and Local Government Oisín O’Connor has criticised the lack of commitment and detail to projects to be delivered by local authorities in the new National Development Plan.

Councillor O’Connor (Glencullen-Sandyford) criticised lack of funding commitments from government: “Whether it’s tackling vacancy & dereliction in our city, town and village centres, retrofitting or road safety works, local councils have a vital role to play in upgrading local and regional infrastructure. It’s staggering that this government would completely overlook this role and commit no further investment to these programmes in the new National Development Plan.”

“In the previous NDP in 2021 there were over 50 references to the role of local authorities in delivering infrastructure projects. In the new government’s NDP there are just 4. Local authorities across the country are the unsung heroes of infrastructure delivery in our communities, frequently doing more with less.”

“Many of my constituents, for example in Sandyford and Ballyogan, are living in cold, draughty homes that are really expensive to heat. As well as sky-high heating bills, this can also lead to damp, mould and health issues for residents. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council have done award-winning work with retrofitting council housing in our area, but without increased funding from central government, we simply won’t be able to retrofit enough people’s homes. This affects council tenants as well as people renting their home from an approved housing body.”

“Ministers need to urgently clarify to local authorities what funding will and won’t be available for vital local projects into the future so that council staff can plan long-term infrastructure delivery.”