Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----with only half a page on costs. Fingal County Council is involved. It stated a cost benefit analysis would be done when a site was selected. The second biggest spender in the country is local government. I agree completely with what the Government is doing and I ask for a more open budgetary process along the lines I have suggested. No Government, including this one, has had a proper handle on what local authorities spend their money on and how they support local economies. Our local authorities have a big role to play in stimulating economic development and growth. The Government and all future Governments should be far more hands-on in this regard. Perhaps the Government is working on something in this regard and I ask the Minister of State to update me if this is the case. I support the Bill, as does my party. I hope the Minister of State will be able to address the points I have raised.