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01 Nov 2025
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01 Nov 2025
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Deputy Carol Nolan
INDEPENDENT TD Carol Nolan has said definitive clarity is required from the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, after she asked him if he would support the continuation of the rates subvention paid to Offaly County Council beyond 2026 on foot of the closure of the Shannonbridge power station.
Offaly County Council has received an annual subvention of €1.7 million from the Department since 2021 to offset the loss of commercial rates income following the closure of the West Offaly Power Plant.
In his response to Deputy Nolan Minister Browne stated that while any allocations from the Local Government Fund can only be confirmed annually as part of the Estimates process, it is intended that a similar allocation will be provided in 2026.
However, he then went on to say that it is expected that the support for lost rates income will reduce and “eventually cease.”
He also indicated that his Department would continue to engage with Offaly County Council on this matter.
“While I welcome the commitment for continued support in 2026, it is absolutely essential that Offaly County Council does not experience a cliff edge drop in terms of the support being allocated to it through the rates subvention,” Deputy Nolan said.
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“We need to know precisely what ‘reduce’ and ‘eventually cease’ actually mean in terms of timelines.
“As I understand it the subvention amount represented about 18.5% of the council's base rates income at the time.
“To lose that or to have it cut dramatically would result in a significant loss to the council’s ability to respond to my constituents and that is something I do not want to see happen. If anything, we need additional funding to enable the local authority to ramp up the level of works and services that it can provide,” concluded Deputy Nolan.
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