Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I take on board the concerns of the Deputy and will take the points he raised back to the Department and my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, who has responsibility for local government. It is important that the Government is securing a package for local government that specifically relates to Covid and the non-rates element. We are attempting to ensure that local government is secure and viable into the future. These are specific items relating to the roads programme and an additional emergency fund because of the persistent occurrence of these severe flooding events. I am more than happy to take the Senator's concerns back within the Department and to relay the points he has raised. These events will occur in the future. In that context, it is important that the Government is able to respond to the needs of communities and local authorities when road infrastructure, particularly that in rural areas, is severely damaged as a result of such events.