Local councils were allocated a total of €457,753,312 between 2014 and this year, figures given in parliament yesterday show.

Nationalist MP Chris Said asked Local Government Minister Owen Bonnici to list the financial allocations for every local council this year. He also wanted to know whether the increase in such allocations was enough to make up for the higher cost of living and the higher prices of services and materials. Finally, he also asked for all the allocations in the past 10 years.

The minister only replied to the first and last parts of the question and did not go into whether the allocations would cover increases.

The allocation for 2024 varies from just under €215,000 to Fontana to €2.4 million to the St Paul’s Bay local council.

Of the 68 local councils, 16 had an allocation exceeding the €1 million mark. Only the locality of St Paul’s Bay had an allocation that went beyond €2 million.

That was more or less the trend over the years.

The total outlay on local councils throughout the period 2014-2024 varied from just under €2 million in the case of Fontana to almost €21 million for St Paul’s Bay.

Other big receivers were Birkirkara (€16.6 million), Mosta (€15.2 million), Sliema (€14.7 million) and Qormi (€14.3 million.