€604m of programme of works over next three years

PAUL MURPHY

Meath County Council will spend €604 million in a “rolling programme” of works over the next three years, councillors have been told.

The programme, running from next year to 2025, will finance projects that were ongoing and that the council was committed to, along with projects that it has grant funding for.

The projects are funded 100% by grant aid although these are very few and refer to national roads. Some projects are funded by a combination of government funding and county council funding gained from development levies, or by way of loans, Chief Executive Jackie Maguire said.

Head of Finance, Fiona Lawless said that in the rolling programme priority is given to spending on the council’s own assets, particularly the strategically important ones like economic development involving job creation. The first aim was to get as much funding into the county as possible.

Projects can only commence after a business case has been made for them. Since 2019 the council had completed works with a value of €365 million including housing, transport, upgrading libraries, the Civil Defence headquarters, playgrounds, swimming pools. Expenditure is based on the amount of levies the council can bring in. In 2021 the council collected over €12 million in levies. It is estimated that by the end of 2022 the council will have collected €9m and going into 2023-2024 it is expected to bring in €8m.

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The reason for the drop in 2023-2024 is because of the fall in building commencement notices notified to the council, Ms Lawless said. Of the total of €604m to be spend, 56% would be allocated to housing, and 24% on roads. Housing accounted for €339m, transport €144m. Some borrowing would be necessary, she said, particularly in the areas of economic development (purchase of land) and housing (purchase of land).

Because the council had been very prudent over the last few years it would be regarded favourably if it sought to borrow, she said.