AFTER a long day of deferrals, private meetings between Mayor John Moran, the executive of Limerick City and County Council, and Council members, Budget 2026 was agreed.
The budget, which, according to Mayor Moran, marks the beginning of an ongoing journey toward achieving balanced and sustainable finances for Limerick, comes at the end of the second full year in his current term.
He said the annual budget for Limerick for 2026, totalling €1.73 billion, underscores the commitment to maintaining service levels while focusing on critical areas to stimulate economic growth.
The total estimated expenditure for 2026 amounts to €940.5m, with key areas to include housing, roads, flood relief, and economic development.
The majority of the budget (€639.8m) is for HAP shared services, which Limerick runs on behalf of the 31 local authorities of Ireland, with the remaining €300.7m allocated to day-to-day services for Limerick.
A key challenge, the meeting heard, is the ongoing inflationary pressures on all Council services, but particularly in the areas of housing maintenance, street-cleaning, grass cutting, and roads maintenance.
The meeting heard that the commercial rate increase of six per cent – condemned by Limerick Chamber in recent days with a warning that it could cause local businesses to go burst and stir discontent with Limerick’s multinational business community – is being offset by a grant percentage increase from 13.5 per cent to 17.5 per cent for over 80 per cent of the Council’s small and medium rate payers.
The monies raised by the rate increase are to be ring-fenced to protect the delivery of core services, while also enhancing projects already undertaken by the Council.
From Budget 2026, there will be an increase in several areas subject to high demand including: housing maintenance, Traveller accommodation management, estate management and service support costs of €19.1m (up from €17.7m in 2025); administration of homeless services of €21.4m (up from €14.65m in 2025); rental accommodation scheme/leasing and service support costs of €33.85m (up from €26.96m in 2025); local, regional, primary, and road maintenance, public lighting, road safety and traffic management, car parking and support to roads capital programme of €56.5m (up from €54.5m in 2025); Limerick Fire and Rescue Service of €23.5m (up from €22.2m in 2025); and parks, pitches, playgrounds and service support costs of €1.47m (up from €1.19 million in 2025).
A report on the programme of capital projects proposed from 2026 to 2030, which is subject to funding availability, was also considered by the elected members at the budget meeting.
Capital expenditure in 2026 is anticipated to reach €793.35m, the meeting was told.
All grant-aid funding is subject to government approval, including the King’s Island Flood Relief Scheme, the Foynes to Limerick Road Improvement Scheme, the Opera Project, and the Coonagh to Knockalisheen Distributor Road.
Mayor John Moran told councillors that “while I understand concerns about this year’s rate increases, I ask everyone to view them as a necessary step given the lack of adequate funding from national government”.
“This budget marks the beginning of an ongoing journey toward achieving balanced and sustainable finances for Limerick.”
Council Director General, Dr Pat Daly, deemed Budget 2026 as a significant move that underlines the local authority’s commitment to service delivery and strategic growth.
“Despite inflationary pressures, we are expanding core services and investing in infrastructure to support economic development. Our focus remains on delivering value for money and improving quality of life for everyone in Limerick,” Dr Daly said.
– Local Democracy Deporting Scheme