Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Smyth also raised this issue. I could do with a bit of support with LIS on the basis of the demand for it. The Deputies said that councils do not have a lot of money but they have a responsibility. They will have their estimates processed in the next few weeks. I was a Minister of State in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and when councils were spending money on roads, they took in certain revenue from the State. Councillors also have a responsibility. It is fine for them to throw over the blame to this Department and say they want more money, but they have a budget process. I have not seen any council yet put funding into LIS in its budget process. I call on all of the councils in the State to put a bit of funding into the LIS. I have put my share of it in. Now let them provide a bit of funding for next year for the LIS. They have discretionary funding. They are able to find that funding for many events around the country, and rightly so, but as elected representatives, the council members have a responsibility as well. I put it to the councillors now that they should put some funding into the LIS. My Department will have €10 million available again from January 2020. If every local authority in the State put a small bit of funding in, we would all help the people that need it.