Sinn Féin's Duffy insists Derry's ratepayers have been protected as Council strikes lowest rates increase since 1974

Sinn Féin Council Group Leader, Sandra Duffy, has said that the Council has been able to protect ratepayers by striking an historically low rate for the second year running.

Following confirmation that rates will rise by 1.81 per cent, Cllr Duffy, who represents the Ballyarnett ward, said additional funds from the Stormont Executive had been crucial in avoiding a much bigger increase.

Cllr Duffy also insisted that given the 15 per cent rise that had once been expected when the pandemic first hit two years ago, keeping this increase to one as low as possible was achieved in large part due to funding support to the tune of £15million from the Executive that was put in place when the Covid outbreak began.

She said: “For the second year running, we have been able to strike the lowest rates increase since 1974 which is quite incredible given that less than two years ago we were envisaging a 15 percent increase to cope with the impact of Covid-19.

“That would have been intolerable given the cost of living crisis facing so many workers and families, so we felt it was important to make every effort to keep the rates as low as possible.

“This has been achieved in large part due to £15million of Executive support since the Covid crisis began, including the provision of an additional £1.86million within this year’s Rates Support Grant allocation, enabling us to again strike a rate as close to zero as possible without reducing council services or impacting on council jobs.

“The 1.81 per cent rates rise, which also takes into account the regional rates freeze by Sinn Féin Finance Minister Conor Murphy, will allow our council to maintain the delivery of frontline services at current levels, protect the jobs of those council workers delivering those services and also ensures we can cover the statutory pay rises which are currently being negotiated with the trade unions.

“It protects funding for projects such as the rebuild of Templemore and Riversdale Sports Complexes and safeguards match funding for our City Deal tourism and city centre regeneration projects which will create hundreds of jobs over the coming years.

“It also ensures we can proceed with plans for community centres, playparks, greenways and environmental projects across the city and district.”