I am conscious I am substituting for the Acting Chairman, Deputy O'Connor. I have no doubt the Acting Chairman would like to comment on the service provided by the local authorities in Tallaght. I will not try to replace him but will stick to what I know in terms of my own area.

This motion is probably the most lazy that has been tabled since my time as a Member of this House in that it has no regard for the workings of local authorities or the pressures and financial constraints they are under at the moment. The motion has no credibility in that it does not set out any other area from which revenue could be achieved should there be a freeze on charges for businesses, as alluded to in the motion. This is a cheap stunt by the Opposition, as was the call earlier this week that Seanad Éireann be abolished and the number of Deputies in this House be reduced. That is cheap politics.

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