Ring says senator ‘is wrong’ regarding funding cutbacks at council

SOD TURNING Pictured in Foxford at the sod turning for the Killala, Foxford and Charlestown Sewerage Schemes recently, were, from left: Chief Executive of Mayo County Council, Peter Hynes; Irish Water’s Paul Fallon, Minister Michael Ring, TD and Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr Blackie Gavin. Pic: Michael McLaughlin

Áine Ryan

SINN Féin Senator Rose Conway-Walsh ‘is wrong’ about her claim that there has been a reduction in Mayo County Council funding since 2011. That is according to Minister for Community and Rural Affairs, Michael Ring who was responding to a Mayo News article published last week in which Ms Conway-Walsh said there had been a €20 million reduction in Local Government Funding to the county council since 2011 while ratepayers were being penalised because of the shortfall. She was citing figures released to Sinn Féin recently after the party asked a parliamentary question about the funding tranche.
Responding, Minister Ring said: “As confirmed by Mayo County Council there has been no decline in Government funding to our local authority since 2011. So the senator is wrong.
It’s disappointing but not surprising that Sinn Féin are using misleading statistics.
The senator highlights a decrease in funding from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to Mayo County Council since 2011. The simple reason for this is that since the creation of Irish Water in 2013, Government funding for water and sewerage is directed through Irish Water and not the department. But it’s still Government funding which is going to our local authority – so there is no decrease. I urge people to treat Sinn Féin’s use of statistics with extreme caution.”
Throwing down the gauntlet to his constituency Oireachtas colleague, he added: “Furthermore, I challenge Sinn Féin to name anything that their party has delivered for Mayo.”

Discrepancy
WHEN questioned by The Mayo News yesterday about Minister Ring’s response, Ms Conway-Walsh said: “Notwithstanding the fact that funding for sewerage and water is now supplied through Irish Water and not the department, the question remains as to why there is a discrepancy between percentage change since 2011 between Mayo and other, including Dublin authorities, where the same funding changes occurred in regard to Irish Water.  For example, the same chart tells us that South Dublin shows an increase of 25 percent while Mayo shows a decrease of 31 percent.”
“Minister Ring’s job is to clarify figures, not attack Sinn Féin for asking for them,” she added. Continuing, she explained: “It is well documented that in 2012 the then Minister for Environment, Phil Hogan notified Mayo County Council that the Local Government Fund was to be cut by €2.6 million for the remainder of the year due to the deficit in payments of the household charge. Fifty nine thousand households in Mayo have paid over €63 million in the last six years. They are rightfully asking where this money has gone when their expectation is that this would be additional money available to them through Mayo County Council.  All the bluster in the world cannot hide the fact that everyone in this county is paying more to get less.
“The other issue arising from our Parliamentary Question is whether the €120 million decrease in Mayo has been spent on water and sewerage schemes within the county.  In other words are we any better off now that the water and sewerage funding has been shifted from the local authority to Irish Water?” she said.