Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry to interrupt Mr. Benson. I appreciate his answers and thank him for them, but my time is limited.

My final question is directed to the CCMA and is on the issue of resources and funding. Have local authorities been requesting additional funding for staff since 2017? Has this been denied to them or has it been the case that they have cut their cloth and tried to get on with it and move things forward? The dogs in the street know that the vast majority of local authorities do not have the funding or staffing necessary to deal with planning and to drive it on. Is this a failure of Government? I know it is a failure of Government, but it should be stated on the record here that this is what gave rise to the housing crisis.