Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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As independent corporate entities, local authorities have the power to acquire land for the purposes of performing any of their functions, including for the delivery of housing. The acquisition of land is a function of the local authority and they do not require permission from my Department to do so.

Once local authorities have identified a need to acquire additional lands, they may seek to borrow the required finance. In accordance with Section 106 of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended, the decision to borrow is a reserved function of the elected members of the local authority concerned, who have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions and are accountable for all expenditure by the local authority. As such, it is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process, having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources.

Section 106 of the said Act also provides that local authorities must obtain the consent of the appropriate Minister to undertake borrowing. In this regard, a request to borrow for housing land acquisition can be submitted by the local authority to my Department. Sanction may be granted based on an assessment of the financial viability of potential loans insofar as individual local authorities are concerned, and an assessment as to whether the borrowing can be accommodated within the context of the fiscal rules. My Department has no record of South Dublin County Council applying to borrow to funds for land acquisition.