Council to examine system of calculating grants to residents' associations in Kildare

Kildare County Council confirmed that a sub-committee has been set up to examine the system of calculating grants to residents’ associations.

The issue was raised by Cllr Fiona McLoughlin Healy at the March meeting of the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District.

The politician claimed that residents’ associations in Naas were awarded a multiple of the amount estates in Newbridge received in 2020.

Cllr McLoughlin Healy called for the system to be reviewed “with a view to informing and agreeing a fairer allocation of funds, whether from the Municipal District budget or from retained Local Property Tax or other sources.”

The council confirmed that a Local Community & Cultural Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) subcommittee has been set up ‘to review the methodology of calculating Resident Association grants and will report back to the SPC in May to identify possible alternatives to the current allocation and to explore an alternative approach to distribute funding in advance of the 2023 budget’.

The council said that funding for Residents Association grants has been allocated in the budget for 2022 and the closing date for applications was March 11 last.

A spokesperson added: “The Community section will allocate funding based on the budget amounts and prior year methodology.”