Minister of State for the Environment Batt O'Keeffe has stressed the need for local authorities to get greater value for money.
He said that between capital and current expenditure, the local government sector would get €9 billion next year.
"While efficiencies have been delivered by the sector in recent times, significant potential remains for further efficiencies to be achieved."
Mr O'Keeffe reminded councillors of the need to maintain competitiveness within the local economy.
"Minimising increases will, in the long-term, contribute to local enterprise and employment growth, and will, in turn, ensure the long-term sustainability of their commercial rates base. I urge elected members to insist that their councils pay greater heed to efficiency and value for money."
Labour TD Joe Costello claimed the Government's policy mantra was straight out of Animal Farm: "Private is good, public is bad." He said the "ugly face of capitalism" was evident in the sale of public lands for private hospitals and by the sale of local authority land banks to private developers and speculators when tens of thousands of households were desperately seeking to buy homes.
