| Council jobs at risk |
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| Wednesday, 19 November 2008 11:22 | |
 CLARE County Council is facing job cuts next year as the council received another blow to the county’s coffers this week.As council members and officials were attempting to cut more than €7 million from the budget estimates, it emerged that the €1.8 million it thought it would receive from non-residence tax would be destined instead for central Government funds. The €200 tax on non-residential homes would have been a major money-spinner for the council as there are an estimated 9,000 holiday homes in Clare, which would have netted the struggling council an estimated €1.8 million. It has now emerged that the funding is destined for Government funds and will more than likely have to be collected by the council. This extra €1.8 million equates to approximately 45 council staff jobs. Suggestions were made earlier this week that 160 contract jobs were under threat, but sources close to the budget talks have revealed that they are looking at everything and there are “no sacred cows”. No decisions have been made yet as to whether the necessary cuts will be made to the pay or non-pay budget, but it is expected that all departments will have to take a cut. The pay bill reaches €45 million each year making up approximately one third of the council’s entire budget. It is believed that the all important Local Government Funding is to be cut by seven per cent, while losses in development contributions is now likely to reach €9 million. Last year the council members threatened to reject the budget and risk the local authority being dissolved as a consequence of what it considered its unfair share of the Local Government Fund. |