Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am encouraged. There is no shortage of funding for projects like this. The sum of €60 million is a lot of money for 80 projects. It is incumbent on the House, the Minister of State and the Minister to follow the local authorities closely in the hiring process because we know they have had history in the past, in particular with biodiversity officers, which have been an issue in some local authorities. It is important for local authorities to show leadership in the advice they can give to communities. That is why such a fund is so important.

The cross-Border funding allocation stream 1A relates to expenditure, 50% of which, I believe, is allocated to Northern Ireland. The Minister of State might outline whether he has a flavour of any the projects under consideration. Biodiversity improvements and food waste, in particular, are areas where local authorities should play a significant leadership role.

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