Local Government Act, 1998

Payments into the Fund by Minister.

4.—(1) In this section—

“consumer price index number” means the All Items Consumer Price Index Number compiled by the Central Statistics Office and references to the consumer price index number relevant to any financial year are references to the consumer price index number at such date in that year as is determined by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance;

“current year” means the financial year in which the particular payment into the Fund, under subsection (3), falls to be made.

(2) The Minister shall, out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas, pay into the Fund in the financial year, 1999, £270,000,000.

(3) The Minister shall, out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas, pay into the Fund in the financial year, 2000, and each subsequent financial year thereafter such an amount as he or she determines, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, in relation to the year concerned and, in making any such determination, the Minister shall have regard, in particular, to each of the matters specified in subsection (4):

Provided that the amount so determined shall in no case be less than an amount equal to the amount specified in subsection (2) multiplied by the figure specified in subsection (5).

(4) The matters mentioned in subsection (3) are any changes in the functions of local authorities or in the amounts of their expenses in performing those functions that may have occurred—

(a) in case the current year is the financial year, 2000, in the financial years, 1998 and 1999,

(b) in any other case, in the financial year preceding the current year,

or that are likely to occur in the current year.

(5) The figure mentioned in the proviso to subsection (3) is the quotient, rounded up to 3 decimal places, obtained by dividing the consumer price index number relevant to the financial year preceding the current year by the consumer price index number relevant to the financial year, 1998.

(6) Any moneys that the Minister receives, in each financial year, other than moneys from the Fund or moneys provided by the Oireachtas, in connection with the collection of motor vehicle tax, including in connection with the provision of information from records established and maintained under section 60 of the Finance Act, 1993 (as amended by section 86 of the Finance Act, 1994 ) shall be paid into the Fund by the Minister.