Ms Geraldine Tallon:

By and large, it comes from the local authority budget. As I explained in my opening statement, the local authority payroll is €1.4 billion, or approximately 17%, out of current expenditure of more than €4 billion. The contribution made centrally to local authority current expenditure is by way of general purpose grants from the local government fund, which was €790 million in 2011. Pay costs at local level are met from the local authority's own resources generated through commercial rates, charges for services and so on.