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

The local authorities have excellent staff, and I can speak for Carlow, but they are understaffed. If people go on holidays nobody replaces them. If somebody is out sick they are not replaced. The staff are worn out. Unless we go back to staffing local authorities such as Carlow County Council we will not do the public or anyone any favour. We need more staff. We have great staff but they are not able to cope. It is unfair that people who are out sick or on holidays are not replaced. It is a huge issue. It is probably the case in all local authorities but Carlow County Council is put to the pin of its collar and the Minister of State needs to look at it.

I thank the Minister of State and I ask him to come back to me with the answers to my questions. I do not receive the same answers consistently when I deal on a daily basis with people coming to me with local authority issues, such as housing, mortgages, windows, doors and grants. There is a hold-up on money and the Minister of State needs to clarify it. He can announce it and tell me it is there but when I go to the local authority I could be told it is coming but that I will not get it for three or six months. Sometimes it does not work. We have a long way to go.