Mr. Des Dowling:

This is an important point. They will be elected at municipal district level but they will come together at the integrated county level to make overall budgetary decisions which, in turn, have a local dimension.

The Minister spoke earlier about the local property tax. The action programme recognises the potential for this tax in two areas, first, as a source of funding for local government and, second, as the missing link in the interplay between funding decisions and provision of services.

We have touched on the question of properties and town councils and so on. There are different experiences in terms of the extent to which properties and assets are held at the town level. Part of the objective of the new arrangement is to eliminate whatever inconsistencies there might be between these different levels to achieve a result which, for the citizens of the county, is better.

The measures relating to Irish Water are being developed and there will be transitional arrangements before we get to the final point in this regard. The Minister has spoken on this issue also and I am not sure I can add hugely to what has been placed in the public domain. The precise arrangements will be worked out in time, but, clearly, the objective is to create an entity that will have the capacity to raise funds and deliver the water programme while drawing on the experience and resources within the local government system, with Bord Gáis as the overall project leader in the short to medium term.