John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not know how many section 85 agreements are at issue. However, I want to make it clear that this is not a no-deal Brexit situation in the delivery of services for people in the area which will transfer from the county to the city in Cork.

On the specific issue on planning permission, planning applications that are made prior to transfer day will be completed by the authority to which they are made. Planning enforcement matters which start before transfer day will be completed by the authority that starts them. There will not be a situation where files are transferred which could lead to documents being lost and issues not being resolved. Equally, on shared services, despite the fact that the transfer day will lead to the line on the map specifically changing, there is no question of the immediate withdrawal of section 85 agreements. They will remain in place to provide existing services. It is a matter, first, between the local authorities to reach agreement themselves on how they plan that the service would continue and what type of interim arrangements will be needed, or if they can be transferred immediately, and, second, between the implementation group themselves who will be the last arbiters of ensuring that the implementation plan is drawn up and that it is implemented by the authorities, with no fall-off or cliff edge in the delivery of local authority services in the transfer area.