Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Mr. Hogan, obviously, that any funds coming into the local authorities should be used, as a priority, for the area for which they were intended.

We all live in the real world. Sometimes there can be other competing priorities and it may make sense, because of other funding streams coming in, for the funds to be diverted. What is critical for the local authority members is that theirs is a strategic role and that they would have a power of influence at a strategic level. When it comes to that decision on how the funds will be used, but also the decision on whether it will be a cash payment to the local authority or a payment in kind, be it other infrastructure or other housing, it would be very important that the local authority members would have an approval function in that process. Is that the intention?