Calls for ‘cap’ on GMA funding for community groups and organisations across Limerick

ELECTED members of the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District have raised questions about how council funding for community projects is allocated.

The issue was raised amid concerns that some projects receive thousands of euros in General Municipal Allocation (GMA) funding in a single year from multiple councillors, while others receive significantly less.

At the March meeting of the Municipal District, Fine Gael councillor Adam Teskey asked if a cap could be introduced on the levels of GMA funding that can be allocated for individual projects.

He asked if the MD had the ability to “limit the amount of money” given to certain schemes and projects, saying he would “like to see it [the funding] dispersed” across different initiatives.

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He suggested introducing an annual cap on the amount of funding that any one club, organisation or project could receive within a 12-month period.

In doing so, he noted that some projects seek support of up to €5,000 from multiple councillors each year.

He commented that this can, in turn, place constraints on other groups’ requests, as councillors each have a finite annual budget to commit to community projects, under the GMA scheme.

Leas-Chathaoirleach for the district, Cllr Bridie Collins, highlighted the importance of committing money to large-scale capital projects that benefit the local communities.

She suggested that the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District create a specific fund for these projects, similar to how councillors contribute equally to the district’s three St Patrick’s Day parades - in Adare, Rathkeale and Askeaton.

“Let them decide between themselves who gets what,” she said.

The General Municipal Allocation scheme provides discretionary funding to councillors to assist groups with projects, events and facilities that enhance wellbeing.