CONCERNS surrounding future funding, off-street parking, waste collection and rates were aired with Environment Minister Mark H. Durkan recently in the hope of achieving “the best outcome for the new council district.” A cross party delegation of five councillors from the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council recently met with the Minister to discuss a range of issues facing the new council district. They were accompanied by Chief Executive Brendan Hegarty.

They pressed for the need to secure mainstream funding to tackle disadvantage in rural areas. The Council has also lobbied the former Minister for Social Development, Nelson McCausland on this matter and will be raising the issue with the DARD Minister, Michelle O’Neill, when she meets a delegation from the Council in the near future.

On off-street car parking they voiced their concern at the proposal that net income generated by car parks would be deducted from the grant that transfers from central government to the Council to cover the costs of transferring the functions from DRD to the Council.

They pointed out that, unless the Council can continue to generate the same level of net income, there will be a cost to the ratepayer. This is of particular concern to Fermanagh and Omagh District Council as the projected net income is the highest of all of the Councils excluding Belfast.

The cost of complying to incoming EU waste regulation is another worry. The Council has agreed to proceed with the separate, fortnightly, collection of food waste, using pod vehicles in rural areas and a brown bin system in urban areas, where food waste and green waste will be collected together.

The delegation also requested that the Minister consider a rates equalisation grant, similar to that which operates in other jurisdictions in the UK, as a potential replacement for the existing rate support grant.

A Council spoeswoman states: “Councillors are aware that the Minister does not have direct responsibility for some of the issues, but it was important to make him aware of the full extent of their concerns, in order to secure the best outcome for the new council district.” Minister Durkan responded by outlining the pressures on his department’s grants to local government arising from the 11 per cent cut in the draft budget.

He appreciated the Council’s concerns about funding to tackle disadvantage in rural areas, but advised that this funding was outside his remit and a matter for the DSD and DARD ministers.