John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

First, I must correct the Deputy in respect of his estimate of the reduction in the local government fund for 2009. Some €1,580 million is available to the local government fund in 2009, a reduction of 1.4% when compared to the total of €1,603 million expected in 2008.

The Deputy may have been referring to the general purpose grants for which I will now provide the figures. The total amount allocated to general purpose grants for 2009 is €935.2 million, a reduction of 6.4% on the record amount of €999.2 million allocated in 2008. The Deputy also asked about a number of matters which come within the bailiwick of my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Deputy Michael Finneran.

I am trying, as best I can, to ensure a sound economic base for local government. The Deputy will be aware the current system is strange in that part of the money received from motor taxation goes to local government. This is one of the reasons — I was up-front about this — for the increase in motor tax which will go to the local government fund. This measure was actually opposed by the Fine Gael Party.

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