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

There was a lot of talk about the resources coming in. It is vital that local authorities get funding, and I ask the Minister to bear this in mind and to examine that aspect. We also have major problems with planning departments being unable to cope with the number of planning applications being submitted. That is particularly the case regarding projects that the local authorities are trying to manage themselves. They require extra resources. The Minister of State said there is going to be an announcement in this regard and I will welcome that if it helps to solve the problem local authorities have in dealing with the number of planning applications being submitted. We also have a shortage of resources, however, in areas such as housing maintenance, where local authorities are unable to keep up. Therefore, I ask the Minister of State to bear all those factors in mind when that announcement is being considered because they are vital for the local authorities.