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

The point being missed is that there is no problem. The council has done an exceptional job in following the plan heretofore to the best of its ability. It is time the Minister was prepared to admit, as assistant secretary Lemass was prepared to admit, that the Department prescribed surpluses of €12. 5 million to be delivered by 2019. I am telling the Minister that that is not possible against the backdrop of all the cuts already done. In terms of what they can do, they are out-performing in many ways. It is not reasonable for the Minister to say, "You agreed this so get on with it, like the ECB did. Live horse and get grass. If you cannot afford the services for the people, that is your problem." No, it is not our problem. The people are sovereign in a republic. The people of Cork and the people of Sligo are no different, and we have a responsibility to provide for them. A surplus target of €12.2 million is too much. A surplus target of €3.6 million next year is too much. It cannot and will not be achieved. The Department prescribed those savings, albeit that Sligo County Council ultimately agreed to them under duress, and when it does not meet that €3.6 million surplus target next year the Department will pull that €1 million back because that is what the Minister said he will do.

In addition to that, since this plan was agreed we have had Brexit, which is already having a significant impact on the retail community in a Border county like Sligo. Foreign direct investment jobs in that area are down 300. We have the highest commercial vacancy rate in Ireland at 16.8%. We have population decline. Those are CSO figures, not Marc MacSharry having a rant. We can skirt around the bush here and the Minister can say we want to tear up the plan. I do not want to tear up any plan. I am saying we should put realistic surplus targets in place. The €1.6 million this year was a phenomenal achievement, considering how low the discretionary fund is at 4%; it is significantly higher in the Minister's county.

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