John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It will be at the discretion of the city council to make the application to change or to vary it, but the Minister and the Department will make the ultimate call as to the extent of any variation and on what they deem to be fair at the ten-year point. The amendments to this section propose a much more detailed line-by-line description of expenditure heads. It is believed, and hoped for, by the Department that it will not allow any unforeseen costs or expenses emerging. The issue relating to the extra window for the county council is the same but in reverse. There is certainty in that the city council will know that funding is coming and it can go to the courts to get the funding fully paid. To have it all included in the calendar year could place too much of a restriction but it is not envisaged that it be allowed to drag on indefinitely. It just places a looser timeline on the payment of that particular contribution.