Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would very much appreciate that as I think it would be helpful. I want to go back to something I said earlier, that it was a bit like an inquisition here at a committee. I asked about it earlier, but we did not come back to it as we did not have time.

I want to ask about the engagement of both Galway City Council and Cork County Council with the Department. How robust are the engagements with departmental officials? Ultimately this is Government policy. I see the witnesses are smiling so clearly there is some action. I am interested to hear about the engagement because I sometimes wonder how robust is the questioning. I will not use the word "interrogation" if the councils are not delivering their targets, given that the funding is clearly coming from the Department. The witnesses might agree that we have a very centralised local government system. We effectively have local administration. We do not really have a local government system with as much autonomy as it should have. That is only my view. The witnesses are the practitioners of it and they have a difficult job. I do not envy them in that regard. I genuinely think we are blessed with the quality of our chief executives across the 31 local authorities. I say that because it must be said. It is not an easy task. There are many challenges, and they are very diverse. Ms Doherty might tell me about her targets, how regularly there are reviews with the housing people and how does that go? Are she and her colleagues pulled up? She might just share that with the committee.