Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

If one wants to find something complicated, one only has to look at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. We effectively collect motor tax and we spend it on things like Irish Water. We collect local property tax and we spend it on roads, which is a bit of a conundrum. There are very significant issues. I do not know if they will fall within our remit. For example, there is the issue of how money is disbursed to local authorities.

A particular benchmark was done under the needs and resources model going back to 2000. That benchmark was to factor in, for example, population changes. My area along with the areas represented by Deputy Cassells and the Chairman are growing areas that are stuck in a place historically in that their needs were counted in 2000. Are we looking at the audit? Are we looking at the configuration? Are we trying to disentangle? What are we likely to do in that session? It took me about six months going back and forth to various sectors to figure out how the benchmarks operate regarding the local property tax, for example. They are deeply unfair. Will we be looking at that or will it be done by another committee?