Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Time is short, given I am sharing time with Deputy Martin Kenny, who I am glad is also raising this issue. The Minister is well aware of the situation. On 14 September I sought a meeting with him and the key official involved in this issue. As of today, nobody has met with me. A private meeting took place last week with Deputy Tony McLoughlin, after which he managed to successfully return to the people of Sligo and tell them they have to increase their property tax by 15%. The people do not have to increase their property tax by 15%. Fingal County Council has €100 million on deposit but there is no shortage of library services there, which is the latest debacle in terms of the difficulty with a financial plan that is totally unworkable.

In reply to a recent parliamentary question, the Minister stated that borrowing for a local authority is a reserved function. That is a typical Sir Humphrey, "Yes, Minister", get out of jail-type clause. Section 106 of the Local Government Act states that is not the case and that the Department has to sanction said borrowing and satisfy itself that this borrowing can be met. The reality is that, many years later, Sligo has a debt of approximately €100 million to €120 million, based on figures supplied by the Minister's Department. His county owes €600 million yet there are no library cuts there, no cuts in Dún Laoghaire and no cuts Fingal.

What kind of idiots does the Minister take the people of Sligo to be? We are equal citizens of this country and we are entitled to services. The same mandate and votes that Deputy Tony McLoughlin got are the ones Deputy Martin Kenny and I got. The people are equal citizens. The Minister should not throw us under the bus like the ECB or the European Commission did to Ireland, because that is precisely what the Minister and his officials are doing to the people of Sligo. Sligo will not stand for it. I am here today, and will be here again next week and the week after, to demand that the Minister make appropriate support available to Sligo local authority-----

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