A’ Chomhairle a’ sireadh bheachdan air mar a ghabhas dèiligeadh ri cion maoineachaidh

Tha aig Comhairle Earra-Ghàidheal is Bhòid ri suas ri £33 millean a chùmhnadh thairis air an ath thrì bliadhna, agus mar sin tha iad a’ sireadh bheachdan bho mhuinntir na sgìre gus cuideachadh le bhith a’ planadh airson sheirbheisean san ùine air thoiseach. Thèid an co-chomhairleachadh a thòiseachadh san t-Samhain.

Thuirt Ceannard na Comhairle, an Comhairliche Aileen Morton:

“Tha Comhairle Earra-Ghàidheal is Bhòid a’ toirt sheirbheisean seachad gach latha a tha a’ toirt taic dha na daoine as òige, as sine agus as feumaiche air taic sna coimhearsnachdan againn. Tha sinn ag obair fad na bliadhna gus frithealadh air feuman ar coimhearsnachdan is gnothachasan ionadail feuch am fàs an eaconamaidh agus nì sin cinnteach gun tig barrachd dhaoine a dh’fhuireach san sgìre agus gun tèid barrachd obraichean a chruthachadh an seo san ùine air thoiseach.

“Tha e a’ sìor fhàs doirbh na rudan seo a thoirt gu buil ri linn nan gearraidhean a chunnacas sa mhaoineachadh againn sna beagan bhliadhnaichean a dh’fhalbh. Leis cho mòr ’s a tha na suimeannan airgid a tha sinn a’ sùileachadh a dh’fheumas sinn a chùmhnadh sna bliadhnaichean ri thighinn, bidh againn ri roghainnean doirbhe a dhèanamh agus atharrachadh mòr a thoirt air na dòighean sa bheil sinn ag obair dha agus còmhla ri ar coimhearsnachdan.

“Aig an ìre seo, chan eil sinn buileach cinnteach dè tha romhainn – thathar an dùil gun tig dearbhadh bho Riaghaltas na h-Alba air an ìre mhaoineachaidh againn airson 2018-19 faisg air deireadh na bliadhna. Tha fios againn, ge-tà, gu gum feumar atharrachadh a thoirt air cùisean. Tha sinn air co-dhùnaidhean a dhèanamh mu thràth le taic bho choimhearsnachdan a tha air atharrachadh a thoirt air obair na Comhairle.

“Leis gu bheil againn ri milleanan de notaichean a shàbhaladh, bu toigh leinn cuideachadh fhaighinn bho dhaoine uair eile ann a bhith a’ dèanamh an fheum as fheàrr den ionmhas is de na goireasan a th’ againn agus bhrosnaichinn muinntir na sgìre gu bhith a’ toirt bheachdan dhuinn.”

Rinn an Comhairliche Gary Mulvaney, Iar-Cheannard na Comhairle agus an Ceann-Poileasaidh airson Ionmhas Ro-innleachdail, soilleir dè cho mòr ’s a tha an dùbhlan a tha ron Chomhairle.

“Thathar a’ tuairmse gu bheil toll luach eadar £0.9m is £8.5m gu bhith ann am buidseat na Comhairle airson 2018/19, agus gum bi easbhaidh iomlan sa bhuidseat thairis air an ath thrì bliadhna luach eadar £11.1m agus £33.9m.

“Ri linn riatanasan nàiseanta agus atharraichean a thaobh cho-dhùnaidhean mu chùram sòisealta, feumaidh sinn an t-airgead sin a chùmhnadh bho bhuidseat de mu £60m gach bliadhna.

“Tha sinn mar Chomhairle a’ dèanamh a h-uile oidhirp as urrainn dhuinn gus dèiligeadh ris na gearraidhean a bharrachd seo. Ge-tà, leis cho mòr ’s a tha na gearraidhean ris a bheil dùil thar nam bliadhnaichean ri teachd, cha bhi freagairtean furasta ann. Tha e a’ ciallachadh gum feum sinn ar dòighean-smaoineachaidh atharrachadh a thaobh mar a bheir sinn seirbheisean seachad. Bidh cruth eadar-dhealaichte air a’ Chomhairle san ùine air thoiseach.”

Tòisichidh an co-chomhairleachadh air làrach-lìn na Comhairle air 13 Samhain, agus iarrar beachdan air planadh airson seirbheisean, agus iarrar beachdan air mar a dh’fhaodadh daoine a dhol an sàs ann an obair na Comhairle. Bidh fios mun cho-chomhairleachadh cuideachd ri fhaotainn bho oifisean na Comhairle.

Fiosrachadh do Luchd-deasachaidh:

Tha roghainnean ann sa cho-chomhairleachadh gus airgead a chùmhnadh a bhiodh a’ ciallachadh gun deigheadh 37.8 obraichean Ionann ri Làn-thìde (ILT) a chall. Nuair a ghabhas dèanamh, bhiodh a’ Chomhairle ag iarraidh cothrom a thoirt do dhaoine an obair aca fhàgail gu saor-thoileach no an dreuchd aca a leigeil dhiubh tràth, ma bha iad airson sin a dhèanamh, agus bhiodh sin a’ ciallachadh gum b’ urrainn do dhaoine eile a tha airson fuireach nan obair sin a dhèanamh.

In English

Council to consult on bridging its funding gap

With savings of up to £33 million to be made over the next three years, Argyll and Bute Council will seek the views of residents in planning the future of its services, launching a consultation in November.

Leader of the Council, Councillor Aileen Morton said:

“Every day Argyll and Bute Council provides services that support our youngest, our oldest and our most vulnerable residents. We work year round to meet the needs of our communities and local businesses to build the economic growth that will bring the people and jobs on which the future of our area depends.

“Achieving this has become increasingly difficult given cuts to our funding over the past years. The scale of savings we expect to have to continue making in the years to come will mean more difficult choices and significant change in how we work with and for our communities.

“At the moment, we don’t know exactly what we are dealing with – our funding is expected to be confirmed by the Scottish Government towards the end of the year for 2018-19. We do know though that change will have to happen. It is with the help of local people that we have already made choices that are transforming the work of the council.

“With millions of pounds more savings to make, we would like to involve people again in making the best use of the resources we have and I would encourage local people to get involved and make their views known.”

Councillor Gary Mulvaney, Depute Leader and Policy Lead for Strategic Finance set out the scale of the challenge facing the council.

“The council’s budget gap in 2018/19 is estimated to be between £0.9 million and £8.5 million, and between £11.1 million and £33.9 million over the next three years.

“Due to national requirements and changes to decision-making about social care we can only make these savings from a budget of around £60 million a year.

“We’re doing all we possibly can as a council to find ways in which to deal with more cuts. However, the scale of cuts expected over the years ahead means that there are no easy solutions. It means that there will have to be a shift in mind-set about how we provide services. We will be a different shape of council going forward.”

The consultation will be available on the council’s website from 13 November and will invite views on service planning, and getting involved in the work of the council. It will also be available in council offices.

Notes to Editors:

The consultation includes options for savings that include the loss of 37.8 FTE (full time equivalent) posts. Wherever possible, the council will use voluntary redundancy or early retirement to create opportunities for those who wish to stay by freeing up posts of those who wish to leave.