Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Minister did not answer my question, which in itself gives me an answer. There is an estimate in the report that up to €2 billion additional moneys will be required by 2010. What is the Minister's estimate of the amount of that €2 billion that will come from Government grants? As he has not answered the question, I will give him another opportunity to do so.

In his main reply, before he began to waffle in his reply to my supplementary question, he identified motor taxation, planning fees, commercial rates and local charges as the areas from which buoyancy will arise. I want to ask him on behalf of the motorist by how much does he estimate motor taxation will increase to meet the €2 billion? By how much will local charges increase? By how much will commercial rates increase, which will be of interest to the business community throughout the country? They will form their own conclusion when they hear the Minister's answer to the specific question on the estimate. Given that he has had the report since last October, I presume he has estimated the increases that will be necessary to meet the additional funding to local authorities.

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