Ms Máirín McGrath:

An issue I want to highlight, which can be addressed, is the actions and approach of national politicians, Ministers in particular, towards local authorities. I see this most particularly in capital funding models. For example, in my area, the Cahir local electoral area, LEA, we receive funding under the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF. Councillors went through a rigorous process with council staff and engineers for the applications. We went through months of work. You would swear the local authority had nothing to do with it when the announcements came because it was the Minister or the Government TD or Senator who took all the credit for the work. It is extremely frustrating. I am in the south of County Tipperary and Councillor Morris is in the north. As much as I enjoy our council meetings and sitting beside him in the council chamber, Tipperary is too big. The amalgamation of the two Tipperary councils into Tipperary County Council has been a failure. I would love to see the return of north and south Tipperary county councils. Although I will miss Séamie, it is needed for the proper representation of our people.

To give an example of my municipal district, I am in the Cahir LEA but I am in a municipal district with Tipperary, Cahir and Cashel. That municipal district is bigger than the Carlow County Council area. That leads to the next question. When we have calls for capital funding from Departments to say every local authority can put forward two projects, how is that fair? There are three towns in my municipal district alone, not to mind the whole county, which is the same size as another local authority area in itself. It beggars belief. It is a big frustration. I appreciate the funding that does come but we should fund the councils to do what they want and stop being so controlling over what they can and would do with it.