Prudent financial management and significant central exchequer assistance combined to leave Monaghan Co Council with a budget surplus of €358,000 for 2020 despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Head of Finance John Murray told Monday’s Council meeting – which considered the local authority’s Draft Annual Financial Statement – that a difficult financial year, and a possible deficit, had been forecast last April, but staff had been asked to curtail spending and budgets where they could and they had followed through on this.
The Council had also put through a claim for Covid-related expenditure and loss of income and had received €1.15 million from the Department, which had a huge impact on their finances for the year. Reflecting on what he described as “a quite successful year from a financial point of view”, the Head of Finance said it was only very late in the year that it all came together and they realised they would not be facing into the deficit they had anticipated. “It is the biggest surplus we have had for the last five-six years,” Mr Murray stated.
Fianna Fáil councillor Raymond Aughey welcomed the draft statement and the “fantastic job” that the Council had done on its finances in 2020. He complimented Mr Murray, the Council’s Financial Management Accountant Olga McConnon and the other financial staff on their “super work”. Seán Conlon (Sinn Féin) also complimented Mr Murray and the financial team on the “remarkable achievement” of being in surplus for 2020.
Fianna Fáil’s P J O’Hanlon asked if it were correct to say that the Co Council had received a €4.5 million increase in funding for regional and county roads in 2020. This was…
