Mr. John McCarthy:

What I would say is that, in the context of the local government policy document in 2014, it was very much envisaged that local authorities would become the agents that would deliver for central government. It was envisaged that there would be relationships between Departments, other than the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, with the local government system. If one looks at the revenue income to local authorities from central government - and leaving aside the local property tax - again, that has increased proportionately in recent years. In 2014, it would have accounted for approximately 21%. By 2017, it had risen to 28%. As Deputy Cassells states, an increasing element of funding is coming through other Departments as a result of two developments. The first of these reflects the coming into effect of the policy position that envisaged local authorities not just delivering services on behalf of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government but on behalf of Government generally and the second relates to changes in departmental functions in recent years has seen some functions transferring to other Departments.