Councils ‘may turn off street lights’

Street lights may have to be switched off and parks closed as “extreme measures” are taken by local authorities to balance budgets because of the non-payment of the household charge.

Paul McSweeney of the Local Authority Management Agency, which is tasked with collecting the €100 tax, said councils are “looking down the back of sofas” for savings to meet shortfalls totalling €60m.

Finance officers in most local authorities are drawing up budget reports which will be debated at meetings in September when councillors will decide the areas where the axe should fall.