Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am interested in our guests' position on money raised locally being spent locally. I come from the midlands, the population of which is reaching critical mass, and live in a county which has a very poor rates base. The equalisation measure in place is extremely important to my county in the context of ensuring citizens are provided with adequate services. We rely very heavily on money from more highly populated areas. What is our guests' position on equalisation? I am curious to discover their view on the measure in this regard, particularly in the context of money remaining in the areas in which it is raised. Not everybody can live in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford or Galway. There are other counties with smaller populations. If the local authorities in these counties are to depend on the money they raise locally and if there is no overflow from more populated counties, the people who live there will not have access to very many services.