John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

——facing local government over the coming years resulting from the downturn in the economic cycle. In working together at central and local levels to deal responsibly with the current economic challenges, the same principles I outlined in regard to the Government's budgetary strategy apply. Local authorities will work to ensure that they are in a good position to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the economy as it recovers during the period ahead.

Local government has benefited greatly from the additional resources devoted to it in recent years and it is now on a considerably sounder financial footing. Local authorities will spend well some €11.5 billion in 2008 in both capital and current expenditure. Even with the necessary adjustments arising from this budget, local authorities will still be very significant economic players locally and nationally.

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