Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Chair's characterisation of what is happening at local level. It is very difficult for councillors to give it the time and attention it needs. We are speaking about the local authorities as though they are independent groups or organisations. In other European countries, local authorities can generate their own revenue. We do not operate in this way in Ireland. The local authorities draw from central funds. The fact there is no central record of the implementation of recommendations is quite extraordinary. As the Comptroller and Auditor General quite rightly identified, we cannot see trends or study the data. It does not seem like good oversight.