Offaly County Council has been “chipping away” at huge revenue deficit

An Audit Officer told a recent meeting of Offaly County Council that a number of years ago there was a huge revenue deficit hanging over the Council. “To your great credit,” he remarked, “you have been steadily chipping away at it and it's now in a considerably healthier condition.”

He added that the audit committee was urging the elected members to be “very prudent” in its financial decisions because of the challenges being presented by the decarbonisation programme. “We are also worried,” he added, “about the cost to the Council of the Tullamore Arts Centre work.”

Cllr John Leahy welcomed the annual audit report of the Council's financial activities. “It is right and proper,” he commented, “that in the world we live in everything has to be transparent.” He said the government's decarbonisation programme is putting huge pressure financially on the Council. “It is up to us all to keep the pressure on, regarding the crucial issue of additional funding being needed to make up for the decarbonisation decrease of funding. We need a solid commitment from the governmental department on this matter.”

Chief Executive Anna Marie Delaney spoke about the closure of Shannonbridge Power Station which caused a huge loss of rates income for the Council. “We will liaise with the Department about the matter,” she remarked, “and we hope to have it resolved soon.”

Cllr Declan Harvey, Cathaoirleach, praised the Audit Committee. “It is great to have this level of transparency.” He pointed out that the audit committee wasn't an internal, Council committee. “It's great that we have an outside audit company overseeing the state of the finances.”