AN indication of Government thinking on the thorny issue of service charges may be given to the Seanad soon. Opposition members yesterday demanded that the Government make its views clearly known as soon as possible.
The Fianna Fail Seanad leader, Mr G.V. Wright, said the three Dublin local authorities were currently considering their estimates. But councillors and the authority managements were having to make financial plans,in a vacuum.
In a newspaper interview on service charges, the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, had spoken of the need for radical reform of funding in the local authority area. Mr Wright said it was impossible for local authorities to determine their estimates when there was absolute uncertainty as to how these bodies would be funded in the new year.
Supporting calls for a Seanad debate on local funding, Mr Paddy McGowan (FF) said confusion prevailed in rural Ireland.