Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

The Minister of State refers to a 33% increase. In some local authorities, if one inspection was carried out it would represent an increase of 100%. There is dedicated funding and the buck stops at the desk of the Minister of State. Rather than observing these figures he should be phoning county and city managers and inquiring what is happening when funding is provided but is not spent. Those responsible for enforcement are in some cases land holders. Local authorities are inspecting themselves. Will the Minister of State establish an independent body in this regard? Will health and safety matters be considered rather than an inspection of sinks and toilet bowls? The implementation of standards shows a serious shortfall in the quality of standards and strongly indicates that inspections are not being carried out. That is the core of what the Minister of State will bring before the House. It is not just a matter of legislation, there is a mountain of legislation but we need enforcement.

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