Council chief defends rates hike

The chief executive of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) has claimed that not increasing rates in the area for the incoming financial year would have resulted in at least 70 job losses at the local authority.

During a special meeting last Thursday, FODC councillors agreed the domestic rate would increase by 5.59 per cent (0.4033p in the pound), with non-domestic properties increasing by 7.45 per cent (24.418p in the pound) for 2023/ 24.

After Cllr Barry McElduff enquired what a zero per-cent rise would have looked like, Alison McCullagh, pictured above, responded, “This would require approximately £2.5 million in savings, in all likelihood meaning an immediate loss at least 70 jobs.

“It would potentially close our theatres, museums and the Marble Arch Caves.

“We would have to consider closing all public conveniences or removing all work on climate change and biodiversity.

“Alternatively, we could reduce capital funding for groups and close community centres.

“Essentially, anything deemed discretionary would be terminated, causing significant disruption of services.”

Cllr Emmet McAleer, independent, accepted retaining services within budget was “a fine line to walk”.

But he added, “People in my constituency are already suffering over existing discrepancies by being in a rural area.

“I will not support further pressures being imposed on families across this district during a cost-of-living crisis … It’s the establishment parties who are pushing this through.”