Bailieborough-Cootehill MD budget unchanged in 2027

The proposed 2027 budget for Bailieborough-Cootehill Municipal District will remain unchanged from 2026, with a total allocation of €166,920 for the district.

Director of Services Paddy Connaughton outlined the proposed budget at the recent MD meeting, confirming that there would be no changes to the various allocations for the coming year.

The budget includes €10,000 for housing estate grants, €7,000 for festival grants and €7,000 for environmental grants under the Agenda 21 scheme.

A further €5,920 has been allocated for playgrounds, while community grants will remain at €10,000. Both the festival and community grants are available to support local initiatives, with individual grants generally capped at €1,000.

The largest allocation is the discretionary MD grants fund, which will remain at €127,000. This fund, which received an increase from €100,000 in the previous budget, provides councillors with funding to support projects and initiatives within the district.

During the discussion, Cllr Stiofan Conaty (SF) asked for clarification on the playground allocation, querying whether it was intended for the upkeep of existing facilities or the development of new playgrounds.

Mr Connaughton explained that the €5,920 allocation was primarily intended for the maintenance of existing community playgrounds, adding that the amount would not be sufficient to fund significant new playground developments or equipment.

He also clarified that the €7,000 environmental allocation would support general environmental costs, including upkeep and Tidy Towns-related work. While this work was previously supported through a dedicated funding stream, that has been discontinued, meaning the allocation would now come from the council’s own resources.

The overall proposed budget of €166,920 will therefore remain at the same level as last year.

* This article was published with support from the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme