Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My question was about central funding. We had central funding for county councils to provide services. The people are now effectively paying the funding for that aspect and the general purpose grant was taken away. I ask the witness to address that point for me. If that sleight of hand had not taken place, we would have had local surplus. Most of the things we discuss here are in terms of policy direction, but at the ground level, county councils provide services that make differences to people's lives. Had that funding strand stayed in place, those county councils would have been enriched to really make a difference.

On top of that, the abolition of the town council system by which there were specific urban funds has left a growing scenario in which the focus on urban Ireland is being taken away. The funds being directed into the major towns are no longer there because of the fact that we do not have dedicated budgets for towns. There is a diminution of the democratic system in this country.

We have gone from 114 councils in this country to 31 and the special focus on towns has been taken away. I know it is something we will address but can we get back to the point of central funding being substituted with the local property tax?