Ms Geraldine Tallon:

I did not for a moment say it had nothing to do with my Department. I simply said the Valuation Office does not come under my Department and, therefore, I do not control and I cannot in a formal sense account for what the Valuation Office does, but in no sense did I say that my Department does not have an interest or does not have a concern. We have a big interest and a big concern in this area because, as Deputy Deasy stated, not merely in terms of the situation that Waterford county and city finds itself in a local government reform context, but right across the country in terms of the future approach to municipal districts in place of town councils, the rate base and the rating position in rating towns and in counties has to be merged, and there is a complex job of work-----