Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 October 2024
108. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the baseline allocation to County Cavan from the Equalisation Fund in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [40428/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraLocal Property Tax (LPT) funding allocations are decided in advance of collection, based on estimates of the LPT yield in individual local authority areas for the following liability year. Every local authority is entitled to receive a minimum amount of funding under the LPT allocation process, known as the baseline. Cavan County Council’s baseline for each of the year’s 2020 to 2023 was €9,480,501.
Until 2022, 80% of the estimated LPT yield before variation, was retained locally and 20% used to provide equalisation funding to those local authorities with lower property tax bases. Where 80% of the estimated LPT yield in a local authority area was lower than an authority’s baseline, the authority was topped-up to that baseline. Equalisation funding came from a compulsory 20% contribution from all local authorities and where necessary, additional funding from the Exchequer.
In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government – Our Shared Future, the LPT allocation mechanism changed from 2023 onwards to allow for 100% of the estimated yield to be retained locally within the local authority area where it is collected. Equalisation funding is now met by the Exchequer, to ensure that all authorities continue to receive, at a minimum, an amount equivalent to their baseline.
Finally, it should be noted that as a result of a baseline review, Cavan’s baseline has increased to €11,783,496 from 2024 onwards. This increases equalisation funding provided by €2.3m per annum.
The table below sets out Cavan County Council’s LPT baseline and the amount of equalisation funding provided as part of that allocation in the years 2020 to 2023.
|
Year |
LPT baseline |
LPT retained locally (before any local variation of the base rate) |
Equalisation funding provided |
|
2020 |
€9,480,501 |
€3,571,524 (80% of estimated LPT yield) |
€5,908,977 |
|
2021 |
€9,480,501 |
€3,631,978 (80% of estimated LPT yield) |
€5,848,522 |
|
2022 |
€9,480,501 |
€3,639,652 (80% of estimated LPT yield) |
€5,840,849 |
|
2023 |
€9,480,501 |
€3,750,334 (100% of estimated LPT yield) |
€5,730,167 |
