Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will feed back the points Deputy Gannon raises on policing to the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee.

I will make a couple of points on local government. All local authorities are responsible for the management of their areas. They are independent in terms of the area they look after. The reserved powers of councillors are hugely important as well. On the issue of dereliction, Deputy Gannon will appreciate there are Croí Cónaithe grants for individual properties but, more particularly, there is funding from the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, for each local authority.

I am relatively recently in this role, and I am going around to all the local authorities. My focus is specifically on dereliction, URDF funding, vacancy, and all the basic elements of improving the state of villages, towns and cities. I will follow up with the incoming manager in Dublin City Council and raise these points. Has Deputy Gannon raised the issue of street cleaning with Dublin City Council? If he wishes to write to me on those specific issues, I will take them up. I am systematically going around to all the local authorities, and I will make it a priority to visit Dublin City Council. Will Deputy Gannon tell me what the issues are now so that I can follow them up with immediate effect?

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