Councils owed €395m in levies

Figures show cash-strapped local authorities across the country are owed over €395m in development levies as a result of the property collapse.

According to Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, the highest amount due is to Fingal County Council in north Dublin where developers owe a staggering €129m to the local authority.

The disclosures follow Mr Hogan confirming there are 235 staff in local government earning over €100,000 per year.

In a written Dáil response, Mr Hogan said: “The grades concerned are city and county managers, assistant managers and directors of service.

“The number of directors of service has reduced from 262 whole time equivalent (WTE) in 2008 to 203 WTE, a reduction of 23%.”

The minister said: “A workforce study has been undertaken jointly by local authorities and my department... Each local authority will in turn prepare a workforce plan outlining how it will implement the study’s recommendations.”

In a separate Dáil response to Deputy Joe Higgins on the development levies, Mr Hogan confirmed, at the end of Dec 2010, local authorities were owed over €395m. The monies from development levies were designed to go towards the funding of capital projects across the country.

The figures provided by Mr Hogan show monies owed to Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council topped €39m with €33.5m outstanding to Dublin City Council.

The unpaid levies stem mainly from planning permissions that were never proceeded with.

Mr Hogan confirmed €8m was not paid to Cork County Council.