Local authorities find themselves in poor financial circumstances as funding from central Government remains stagnant. The cost of providing services is rising annually, yet there are few places where the authorities can find funds to pay for those improved services. The benchmarking payments will cost Kilkenny County Council approximately €1 million this year and €2 million every year thereafter. This is a significant sum of money, particularly when it has to be raised locally. The result is that the council is being asked to adopt these crazy development charges that are effectively a tax on first-time buyers. As others pointed out, until last year we had the first-time buyer's grant and we now have the first-time buyer's tax that has been introduced by the back door.