Councillor Willie Callaghan:

Deputy Coonan referred to the local property tax as a way of getting extra funding for local government but that is a myth. It is very disingenuous to say that the property tax will give more money to councils and local authorities because it will not. If €10 million is taken in through the LPT in my county, the Government will take €10 million from the local government fund for the county. The myth about the LPT that needs to be put to bed. We will not get any extra money.

Senator Landy asked what effect this legislation will have on communities. It will have a huge effect in terms of community grants and community involvement. My council, like all others around the country, is hugely involved with various sporting and cultural groups, tidy towns committees and so forth. We have an awards night coming up in three weeks time in my local town. We will be giving out about €180,000 on the night. I cannot tell the people of my area that they will have the same level of funding from next year onwards and neither can any of my colleagues. The chances of having that money available are very slim.

Deputy Stanley asked what other powers or functions we would like to see devolved to local government. We see what is happening in other European countries, where local government is involved in education, health, social welfare, policing and so on. We believe that we should have an input in those areas because we are on the ground in a real sense. A lot of problems in those areas are being brought to councillors' clinics anyway so we should have an involvement in them.