Annual Budget 2009 - Roscommon County Council
Annual Budget 2009 - Roscommon County Council
Annual Budget 2009 - Roscommon County Council
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Manager’s Foreword<br />
Manager’s Foreword<br />
<strong>Roscommon</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
Courthouse<br />
<strong>Roscommon</strong><br />
12th December 2008<br />
To: The Mayor and Each Elected Member of <strong>Roscommon</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
Re: Draft <strong>Budget</strong> for the Year Ending 31st December <strong>2009</strong><br />
Dear Mayor and <strong>Council</strong>lors,<br />
I present herewith for your consideration and approval the Draft <strong>Budget</strong> for <strong>Roscommon</strong> <strong>County</strong><br />
<strong>Council</strong> for the year ending 31st December <strong>2009</strong> together with my comments and report thereon.<br />
The explanatory material in relation to the various services has been included before the figures for<br />
each appropriate Division.<br />
The present overall financial situation affecting the International Global community, the European<br />
Union and Ireland is well known and documented. Basically the worldwide monetary system is going<br />
through an unprecedented upheaval coupled with stock market collapses, investor and consumer<br />
uncertainty and non-availability of credit. That global context and the virtual collapse of the Irish<br />
construction industry and taxation revenue streams together with the contraction of the wider<br />
economy from the highs of a prolonged period of elevated growth to recession, has cast the<br />
background of very difficult economic circumstances in which this <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> must now<br />
operate.<br />
Within this framework <strong>Roscommon</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> is challenged with the preparation of a budget<br />
for the financial year <strong>2009</strong> that is aimed to ensure the continued running of essential services as well<br />
as delivering on its responsibilities for the multiplicity of central government and local government<br />
programmes and objectives. All of this is set side by side with the further particular case of the Local<br />
Government sector in Ireland which is operating under a severe funding gap which was recently<br />
established through the Indecon study commissioned by the government in 2006 and which stated<br />
that the service is endeavouring to deliver on its responsibilities on a deficit of some €500 million and<br />
rising to €2000 million by 2010.<br />
As with other <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>s significant constraints continue to arise in relation to the delivery of<br />
services and meeting expectations not only due to financial constraints but also due to the staffing<br />
embargo. Recent research in this area concludes that the embargo as exercised by Central<br />
Government is affecting the performance of Local Government particularly in areas of Housing,<br />
Roads and Water Services – but also generally in all areas of activity. This also needs to be viewed<br />
against the background of the general performance of Local Authorities which is the only Public<br />
2 <strong>Roscommon</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> | Comhairle Chontae Ros Comain | Adopted <strong>Budget</strong> <strong>2009</strong> | For year ended 31st December <strong>2009</strong>
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