CCI describes Cullen funds as ‘band-aid’

The Chambers of Commerce of Ireland (CCI) has described the allocation of an extra €92.2m funding for local authorities as a 'band-aid'.

The business organisation said it still falls far short of the amount needed to cover the cost of local authority benchmarking in 2004.

Earlier, the Environment Minister Martin Cullen said that the increases would assist local authorities' infrastructural spending.

Speaking after the announcement, CCI Chief Executive John Dunne claimed: "In reality €68m of what the Minister announced today has already been allocated and so the actual amount is just €24.2m.

"It highlights the overall shambles that is local authority funding and we call on the Minister to fulfill his commitments by appointing the members of the Local Government Financing Review Group before the end of the year, having it report back by September 2004 and implementing its recommendations for change in budget 2005," he added.