Galway pays the fourth biggest contribution in taxes to the State, according to new figures released this week.

Galway residents paid 4.7 per cent of all PAYE collected in Ireland in 2006, behind Dublin at 49.6 per cent, Cork at 8.1 per cent and Westmeath at 5.2 per cent. Galway was also the fourth highest contributor of Capital Gains Tax at just over five per cent, VAT at 3.12 per cent and Non-PAYE taxes at 5.24 per cent.

While the county dropped to fifth in relation to corporation tax behind Dublin, Cork, Kildare and Limerick, the amount paid by Galway businesses increased from €69 million to €112 million between 2003 and 2006.

Commenting on the figures, Fine Gael spokesperson for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar said that the gap in contributions between Dublin and outside the capital highlighted the failure of decentralisation efforts.

"It is pretty obvious, four years after decentralisation and the National Spatial Strategy, that both appear to be largely a fantasy and aren't having any major effect on regional development or on wealth across the country."

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