This article is from page 14 of the 2012-01-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
FURTHER confirmation that local authorities like Kilrush Town Council must answer to the European Union and International Monetary Fund as much as, if not more than, they do to national government was hammered home at last Thursday’s monthly meeting of the local authority. That’s because a new stringent timetable has been laid down by the Department of the Environment for receipt of the town council’s financial statement – all at the behest of the new criteria that has been handed down as part of the EU/IMF bailout deal for the country’s economy.
Kilrush Town Clerk John Corry revealed that the new guidelines that will be imposed means that the financial statement is set to be delivered up to four months ahead of previous years.
“We are required to prepare our annual financial statement by April 1 and has to be published by July 1,” said Mr Corry, “but we received a circular from the Department of the Environment in the middle of December advising us about the financial statement – it’s all to do with the reporting of the EU/IMF arrangements and the quarterly report that we do in tandem with that.
“They set a very difficult thing to deal with. They’re suggesting that our annual financial statement would be prepared by the February 24, along with our quarterly returns,” he added.
News of the strict new guidelines come only two months after it was first revealed that the management of Kilrush Town Council finances now come under the microscope of Eurocrats in Brussels and the IMF.
This prompted Cllr Tom Clyne (Ind) to say “the long arm of the EU is extending all the way to Kilrush,” while Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) said “little did I think that Kilrush Town Council would be responsible to the bureaucrats in Brussels”.
However, in facing up to new financial realities, the town clerk revealed that the local authority was “working towards” adhering to the new deadlines.
“The statutory dates still exist – that’s April 1,” said Mr Corry, “but there’s a sort of a strong encouragement that’s being advised to us that we’d have the statement ready by the February date.
“I’m seeking advice with regard to the formal adoption of it. The February meeting is fixed for the 9th and there’s no way that we’ll have it completed by then, so what I’m seeking advice on is whether or not we will be able to present it to members at the March meeting.
“To achieve that will be an onerous task, because normally we don’t present it to the members until the May meeting – it was even June last year. I’m hoping that we will,” added Mr Corry.