Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In respect of the Deputy's concern about the transfer of the community function to the new Department under the Minister, Deputy Michael Ring, and that urban element of it, the Minister, Deputy Ring, and I have a very close working relationship. We both deal with local authorities. Local government comes under my Department but given the role that the Minister, Deputy Ring, has in the new Department, local authorities will be key to that. We have a very close working relationship. In any transfer of functions there is always some difficulty; whenever a new Department is being set up it takes a bit of time. Staff have to relocate. All of that sometimes creates delays or difficulties but we are doing our best to make sure that we work together and that there will be minimal disruption to any funds or activities that are transferring from my Department out that of the Minister, Deputy Ring.

In respect of the Deputy's questions about what we are doing with the Revised Estimate, yes, it is about transferring the funding, staff and responsibilities for community into the new Department. It is also providing those amounts for the payments of refunds to be made, the administrative costs for those payments and the additional money that must be expended because of the continued suspension of water charges for this year, which was not previously allocated. As for where the money is coming from to do that, it is additional Exchequer funding that is available. In other words, it is taxpayer funding.