Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not think they do, to be honest. It is disgraceful that local authorities are not applying for money that is available or that they are not applying for it at the pace needed to protect communities. There is a big fall-down there.

We have seen cutbacks in local and regional roads funding. In Mayo alone, €100 million was cut off the budget over a four or five-year period. I have done the calculations previously. Certain local roads do not come under the remit of local authorities. We have the local improvement scheme for these roads and a tiny budget is available. Vital connecting roads affected in coastal flooding in 2013 have never been replaced. Whole areas are still disconnected as a result. This needs to be looked at. Are the appropriate resources and staff in place in the OPW and local authorities?

Section B8 on page ten of the same document refers to rents paid by the State for various buildings. The Government spent €3 million more in rents in 2016 than in 2015. It is expected to spend almost €6 million more in 2017 than it spent in 2015. Why is that? Are we holding on to buildings that are not being used? Are we doing enough shopping around? Do we have many vacant buildings?