Section 47, The Local Government Act, 2004

(1) Until and including the financial year ending in 2008, Parliament shall appropriate to local councils as a tied grant for each devolved service, at least that amount necessary to continue the operation and maintenance of that service at the standard to which it was provided in the year prior to its devolution. (2) For the period thereafter, Parliament shall appropriate to local councils the amount that enables the councils to provide those devolved services at an appropriate standard. (3) Annual changes in the total grants appropriated for devolved services to local councils as a whole shall not be less advantageous than the annual changes in the total budgetary appropriation made to Government Ministries. (4) Parliament may specify the functions on which these untied grants must be spent, so as to ensure that national priorities and standards of service are met.