Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to speak on No. 9, which relates to the inclusion of local government funding. The Minister with responsibility for housing attended this committee last week with his official, Ms. Mary Hurley, who has responsibility for local government in the Department. The biggest issue going forward for us as a committee is that of local authorities, because there have been so many cuts to services and there is no funding. In the past few months, local authorities have been looking for extra capital funding because they are only just surviving. Housing is important but the biggest issue facing local authorities is keeping their services going, whether it is through adaptation grants or other funding. There is funding available. Covid-19 has affected local authorities as much as other areas. We must work with local authorities to see what we can do through the Minister to get funding for them. Funding for my local authority has been decimated because there is no revenue coming in from parking charges and other areas. Local authorities are under pressure just to keep the doors open. Unless the committee delivers on that, we will not be playing our role. I ask the Chairman, as a matter of urgency, to arrange a meeting with the Minister to try to work out what we can do to help the 31 local authorities. While I welcome the Minister's announcement last week of €600 million in funding in lieu of commercial rates, that is only for six months. With shops and restaurants having closed, through no fault of their own, it will be impossible to get additional revenue from commercial rates.

I know we need to build houses and provide affordable housing but the biggest issue we face is the need to work with the Minister to see what we can do to help our local authorities and what funding we can get them. Until that is sorted, that will be our biggest issue.