Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I want to understand this. This money will not be expended until next year. Is that what the Taoiseach is telling us now? When it is drawn down, it has to be matched by some percentage of local government money. What is that percentage? Where are the local authorities to get that money? Will only local authorities with the capacity to find matching funding be allowed to draw down that money?

Taken together during the past week we have seen announcements in the published Estimates of an additional €500 million for health, €200 million for housing, €40 million for policing and an undisclosed sum, yet to be announced, for the Department of Education and Skills. We have not seen them yet although apparently they are to be debated tomorrow. How will all of that additional expenditure impact on the expenditure benchmark? Has a new expenditure benchmark been agreed with Brussels? If so, what is that benchmark?

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