Green Party TD Paul Gogarty, after being pushed on Today FM’s Last Word by Fine Gael Dublin Central Senator Paschal Donohoe, admitted that John Gormley’s Office has put the cost of the new Dublin Mayor’s Office at €5 million a year.
Senator Donohoe says that Deputy Gogarty’s comments will further fuel fears that tax hikes are on the way for Dublin citizens to pay for the Green Party’s plans.
“There isn’t a person in Dublin who thinks the city councils are flush with money and can afford to absorb an extra €5 million a year.
“Councils have been cutting services left, right and centre but now the Green Party wants them to insert another €5 million a year in expenditure into the four councils’ budgets. John Gormley has repeatedly made the farcical claim that this huge amount of expenditure can be met from within existing budgets without more services being cut or rates being increased.
“This is not true. Fingal County Council has already stated that there is no provision to pay for the Mayor from within existing budgets unless taxes are increased. Minister Gormley dismissed their claims as untrue and blames an overzealous individual in the County Council. Perhaps the Minister would now like to explain precisely where Fingal and the three other councils will find €5 million a year as, short of hiking taxes, the councils themselves have no idea.”