County Galway funding gap unlikely to be addressed before next census
County Galway’s Government funding deficit is unlikely to improve before the next census as three TDs called on Housing, Local Government and Heritage Minister James Browne to address what they described as an “unfairness” in the allocation of State funding.
At a Dáil topical issues forum in June, Galway East TD Louis O’Hara, Galway West TD Mairéad Farrell and Roscommon-Galway TD Claire Kerrane sought an explanation from the Minister as to why County Galway receives almost €500 less per person in Government funding than the national average.
Speaking during a Dáil debate, Deputy O’Hara said Galway County Council receives an average of €1,051 per person, compared to a national average of €1,534.
However, the three Sinn Féin TDs said they were dissatisfied with the response, which was delivered on the Minister’s behalf by Minister of State at the Department of Finance Robert Troy.
Deputy Troy said the local authority funding system is “complex” because it is made up of multiple fluctuating income streams, including commercial rates, goods and services, Local Property Tax (LPT) receipts and funding from Government departments.
He said Galway County Council’s funding had increased by almost €50m between 2023 and 2025.
The council also received the second-largest increase to its LPT baseline following a review of funding criteria, he added, and benefited from a further increase in 2026.
“As a result of both of these changes, Galway County Council’s baseline has seen a significant increase of over €7m, or almost 50pc, in a three-year period,” Deputy Troy said.
Deputy Farrell criticised the explanation as she said: “One thing I have learned in this Chamber is that if the Government does not want to explain something, it will say it is complex, and that it is a little bit too complex for us to understand.”
While Deputy O’Hara said the response failed to address the central issue.
“The Minister of State’s response does not answer the key questions about why Galway County Council is losing out and what specific formula is being used to calculate funding for local authorities,” he said.
Deputy Kerrane said the three TDs were “none the wiser” after the reply. “The nub of the issue remains,” she said.
“There are smaller counties with smaller land areas and smaller populations that have more outdoor staff, more council resources and receive more money from central government than Galway County Council.”
In response, Deputy Troy said local authorities across the country are facing pressures arising from “general inflation and higher costs.”
Deputy O’Hara said Galway County Council executives have come forward asking for a specific €15 million boost.
However, Deputy Troy said it would not be “appropriate or equitable” to review baseline funding allocations before the next five-year review, which will take place in 2027 using Census data.
“With this in mind, Galway County Council must ensure that it is effectively leveraging all funding opportunities at its disposal and identify where it can increase its allocation by seeking more funding for projects that are ready to be delivered from the range of available funding calls,” he said.
“It is important also to focus on locally raised income sources.”