Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. I have a number of supplementary questions and would like specific answers, if at all possible.

Have the local authorities specifically requested extra staff as part of the resources needed to meet the demands being placed upon them? Is there a staff resourcing issue that needs to be addressed? Have the local authorities identified it and made specific requests of the Department? When will the Department respond and can the local authorities be assured that their requests will be met?

The Minister referred to the housing activation fund of €200 million, for which the local authorities must compete, to provide necessary infrastructure. I ask him to confirm that it amounts to €50 million over four years. Is there conditionality associated with that fund? Many developers and local authorities have told me that the conditions associated with the fund render it unviable into the future. While the announcement of €200 million sounds good, when one drills down, one finds that it is over a four year period. The conditionality means that it may not even be spent. It is like the urban renewal scheme in that regard. Councillors have told me that it could be up to 18 months before the funding that is needed today becomes available. It is good from the perspective of the Minister and the Department because they may not have to spend what they say they are spending.

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