Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I extend my sympathies to the Lucas family. It was a very sad situation and the whole of Ireland was in shock when we saw it on the news and read about it.

As the Leader is aware, now is the time for local authorities to do their budgets. Councils have experienced major changes. The most significant issue for local authorities is the abolition of all the town councils. Additional issues are the cost of the land aggregation scheme and the loss of rates from the local enterprise offices, LEOs, and the utilities from the ESB, Bord Gáis and Eir. In my local authority, on average, 40% of our local property tax is €90, another 40% is €225 and 20% is €320. On average, we are in the three lowest categories, like many of our small towns and neighbours.

If the Minister does not give extra capital funding or does not come to some agreement with local authorities, services will be cut, which will affect the normal person through libraries, parks and roads. I have addressed the Minister regarding this, but I have not received a reply. It is very unfair for the Minister to compare cities and larger towns, which can take in extra funding through different tools and other local property taxes, with smaller towns which cannot. I ask the Leader to contact the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and ask him to return to the local authorities which have been seeking extra capital funding or some agreement so budgets can be passed for 2017.