Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

The rooms were filled with smoke in terms of the discussions that took place on this measure. In effect, the Minister is transferring a funding source from the Department. This shows political naivety and weakness. The Minister will not be able to implement some of the key measures required in the area of local government policy that require finance to back them up. One cannot implement much change in local government without the money to do it. Perhaps the Minister, Deputy Gormley, will let us know whether he has in mind the imposition of additional charges or other sources of funding for local government in the future. Given the proposed transfer of funding to the Department of Transport, he certainly will not have access to a vital source of funding.

I look forward to hearing what the Minister will say regarding future accessibility of local government to the National Roads Authority. Has this issue been discussed and thought through? Is there reference in the small print to the Government's policy position on this matter? I hope the Minister will return to the House at the earliest opportunity, not with an innocuous technical Bill like the proposed transfer of functions to the Department of Transport, but with a meaningful package of measures for local government reform.

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