Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On a related topic, the Minister referred to various properties and the valuations attached to them. I refer to the abolition of town councils and the amalgamation of city and county councils. With regard to ownership of properties in the names of town councils that move into the ownership of the overarching local authority, are costs associated with this from a probate perspective? Have the costs been evaluated and collated nationally and has a figure been put on this? Is it the responsibility of each local authority and its legal representatives to carry out those functions? Is there a case for national procurement? Is the local authorities' legal expertise being used in this audit, whether in-house or as an outside function? What costs will be incurred? Based on these costs, is it the duty of the Department to procure this on a national basis? Has that process begun?

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