Increased annual budget approved for 2024

An increased Annual Budget has been approved for Fingal County Council, with Councillors agreeing to a €361.9 million budget that will be invested in delivering over 900 different services in one of Ireland’s fastest growing counties. Adoption of the 2024 Budget sees an additional €28.1 million available from that received in the budget for 2023.

The single biggest expenditure in this year’s budget remains for housing and building (€117.2m), representing a rise of some 16 per cent from that seen in 2023. Other functional areas that account for significant expenditure includes roads & safety (€43.1m), environmental services (€54.1m) and recreation & amenities (€70.2m). Overall, the 2024 budget means that spend per head of population in Fingal equates to €1,099.

Commenting on the 2024 Budget, the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Adrian Henchy said: “This marks a significant milestone for the people of Fingal as we welcome the passing of the Council's new budget for 2024. This includes a substantial increase in funding, allowing us to deliver even more essential services to our community and will help foster greater social, cultural and economic growth across the region. As we continue to significantly invest in a range of initiatives and services, adoption of this budget underscores our commitment to enhancing the quality of life in Fingal and helps ensure that our residents have access to the resources and support they deserve.”

Some of the 2024 Budget highlights include:

• A €16m increase for the housing department to help with the likes of provision of social housing, preventative maintenance works, homeless services and housing adaptation grants.
• An increase of €5.5m towards roads maintenance, parks, pitches, opens spaces and burial grounds.
• Around €3m to help develop and maintain libraries, tourism, arts, events and town centres.
• An additional €1.9m allocated to help invest in new and current community infrastructure and facilities.
• €1.7m towards planning and strategic infrastructure, including increased funding for biodiversity projects and initiatives. 

Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, said: “I am delighted to welcome this increase in funding which will play a pivotal role in shaping an even more promising future for Fingal. A lot of hard work has been undertaken to ensure this budget strikes the right balance - it not only provides the necessary resources for us to deliver a greater range of high-quality services for our citizens, but it allows us to keep pace with the continued growth and development needs of the County.”

Despite the extra investment, the rate of local property tax (LPT) in Fingal has remained unchanged with Councillors having voted in 2022 to reduce LPT by 7.5 per cent for 2023 and 2024. Councillors have also agreed to leave the Annual Rate on Valuation (ARV) unchanged for 2024.

In terms of the council’s income, around 44 per cent is generated from Commercial Rates, while Grants account for some 29 per cent. Others streams of income include Housing Rents (7%), Irish Water (4%), and Miscellaneous Income (5%).

For a detailed breakdown of the 2024 Budget, go to: https://www.fingal.ie/council/service/annual-budget