Businesses across Longford availed of over six million euro worth of Covid assistance grants last year.
Figures presented to the May meeting of the local authority reveal that over 900 businesses availed of the rates waiver last year, worth an estimated three million euro.
Head of Finance at Longford County Council John McKeon outlined that the local authority incurred Covid related costs of €630,000 last year alone.
Parking charges halved last year to just over €400k, while planning fees also declined by €155k. Fire charges were also down significantly from €171,000 to €125,000.
The impact of the pandemic was laid bare to local Councillors where it was revealed that over six million euro was claimed by businesses in Longford under government Covid restart grants last year - and 943 ratepayers availed of a waiver worth €3.06million.
Councillors were told that the current quarter one rates waiver would be worth an estimated €851,000 to the Council, with extra Covid costs of over a quarter of a million euro alone in the first three months of the year.
Expenditure increased last year significantly on the 2019 spend, with an extra 12 million allocated to operational costs - linked to regeneration projects in the county.
However, income matched pace with spending - with a surplus of five thousand euro returned once again by the Council.
The finance chief warned that extreme vigilance would be required on spending this year and the uncertain future of local authority income was a concern across the country - with financial flexibility and innovation required in the short and longer-term.
