Developers owe €800m to local authorities

DEVELOPERS owed €800 million to cash-strapped local authorities in overdue levies at the end of 2008.

The Department of the Environment has said provisional accounts from local authorities show the developers’ debts were 60% higher than early-year estimates.

Last April the department believed €500m was the amount due to the country’s councils. However, the final accounts revealed the situation was €300m worse than originally thought.