Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

——on the pretext that it is for local government financing.

The Minister failed to get enough money in the Estimates to justify the service of local government. He is asking local councils and councillors to impose more charges and hike up commercial rates paid by small business people to balance the books for his incompetence in not securing the necessary funds from the Department of Finance.

See this speech in context