€7m from household levy used to fund agency

More than €7m in household charges paid by property owners is being used to finance the agency collecting the levy, despite communities facing cuts to essential services and the closure of local facilities.

It has been confirmed that the millions of euro — equating to charges paid on 72,000 properties — are being deducted from charges to pay for staff, the household charge database, and administration costs.

The money needed to run the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) has increased and the bill “expanded” since it was set up this year, the agency told the Irish Examiner. However, the mounting bills for the agency come as local authorities are being forced to pull millions in community, arts, and sports grants, as well as close facilities such as parks and libraries due to cuts in government funding.