THE passing of the first budget under the supervision of Limerick’s first directly-elected mayor has been lauded as a significant milestone that marks a new era of local governance.
And after an epic eight-and-a-half hour meeting last Friday (November 29) with twists and turns and adjournments aplenty, Mayor John Moran, the elected councillors, and the Executive of Limerick City and County Council finally agreed on a budget for 2025.
Delivered to fund economic growth and support Council services, Council members put forward a resolution that resulted in no commercial rates increase being applied for next year (following an eleventh-hour call from Limerick Chamber hitting out at the previously pitched suggestion) to illustrate that the Council is pro-business.
However, Mayor Moran pointed out that a budget he delivered earlier in the mammoth meeting – which was not accepted by councillors – was “very balanced”, and suggested that the budget agreed at the end of proceedings may come “at a cost to services, I believe, or a cost to Limerick”.
“It is your choice. Go ahead and have this budget, but I think we should do this with open eyes that we may very well have cuts in services over the year,” he warned.
Hitting on one of the most contentious of topics in the past few weeks, Mayor Moran warned that “we might not have Christmas lights for next year as we have refused to allocate €125,000 for next year, which is the cost of the lighting up service”.
‘You have just thrown us under the bus’
Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Collins suggested that Mayor Moran was in a different room to him at party leader’s meetings throughout budget day.
“You heard the Director General (Dr Pat Daly) clearly state that he felt efficiencies could be found,” Cllr Collins replied.
Fine Gael councillor Adam Teskey felt there was a lesson to be learned for the Mayor from his first budget meeting with councillors, suggesting Moran “work with us, not against us”.
“Literally you have just thrown us under the bus,” he hit out.
“I think it is very disingenuous what you’ve done today. And furthermore, you’ve brought the name of the Director General into this by saying he may not be able to find the efficiencies in question.”
Cllr Teskey said that “Pat Daly ran a good show here for the last few years. Politics is about compromise and bringing people together, creating bridges where there’s divisions, and you’ve nailed a division right there.”
Mayor Moran wanted it made clear that he didn’t want councillors believing he had 100 per cent confidence that they can achieve the services under their amended budget.
Cllr Liam Galvin (FG) told Council members that whatever challenges came out of Budget 2025, they would face them together.
“You can’t wash your hands and say ‘I’m not going to be responsible if this flops’. We made a decision here today, along with the executive, along with the Mayor, and we’ll stand over that,” he said.
The meeting heard that new areas for focus identified for 2025 from the Mayoral Programme are being prioritised and resourced from the mayoral fund, which is exchequer funded. The key priority areas together will bring focus on local service improvement to stimulate a “More Liveable, a More Prosperous, and More Healthy Limerick”.
€923.6 budget breakdown
The total estimated revenue expenditure for 2025 will be €923.6million, reflecting an increase of day-to-day expenditure of €20m and a reduction of expenditure in the HAP shared services centre – which Limerick runs on behalf of the 31 local authorities – giving a net decrease of €13.5m on the adopted 2024 figure of €942.78m.
As the HAP expenditure is matched by a corresponding income, it has no net effect on budgetary provisions.
There will also be an increase in several budget areas that are subject to high demand, including housing maintenance, road maintenance, and increased grants allocation for the elderly and vulnerable.
Other key areas within the budget include Traveller, and estate management (€13.3m); administration of homeless services (€14m); housing grants (€1.3m); rental accommodation scheme/leasing (€26.4m); local and regional, primary and secondary roads, public lighting, road safety, and traffic management (€51m); Limerick Fire and Rescue Service (€22.2m); street cleaning and illegal dumping (€5.05m); grass cutting, trees, and horticulture, maintenance of parks (€3.8m); and an enhanced festivals and events programme (€1.7m).
Mayor Moran deemed the passing of his first annual budget as a “significant milestone” for Limerick.
“This budget is not just a financial plan,” he told the Council chamber. “It symbolises the trust and cooperation between the Office of Mayor and the Council, essential for driving Limerick’s development and improving the quality of life for its residents. We have a shared commitment to making Limerick a better place for all its residents. Together, we are laying the foundation for a brighter future, addressing key issues such as housing, infrastructure, and community wellbeing.”
“I look forward to continuing our work together to implement the More for Limerick programme and driving meaningful progress for our city,” he said.
The budget, Council director general Dr Pat Daly explained, ensures that existing services are maintained to a high standard, while also enhancing resources in key priority areas.
“This is a historic budget, the first of its kind in local government in Ireland. It sets a precedent for future directly elected mayors, showing that collaborative governance can lead to effective decision-making and progress,” Dr Daly concluded.
