I raise the serious deterioration and neglect of the beautiful town of Cluain Meala, the vale of honey. In 2014, the then Minister, Phil Hogan of Fine Gael, supported by Fianna Fáil via confidence and supply, abolished Clonmel Borough Council. On that day, Clonmel Borough Council had €145 million in capital assets and €30 million cash in hand. Every year for the ten years since that date, we have had a discretionary spend of €20 million, which amounts to €200 million. Money is being taken out of Clonmel, leaving it penniless. Yesterday's meeting of the new municipal district, a sub-committee of the county council, was told it had €200,000 of a discretionary spend, up from €140,000 last year. We cannot continue with the undermining of the famed town of Clonmel, the biggest inland town in the country. It is penniless and cannot do any necessary works. Will the Tánaiste give a commitment before the election that he will restore the borough council to Clonmel and other boroughs? I am asking about Clonmel in this case.

Thank you, Deputy.

The former Minister, Deputy Brendan Howlin, has said it was the biggest mistake of his life. He admitted that, at least. Will the Tánaiste admit the amalgamation was a mistake?

Will I admit it?

The money was taken was taken from south Tipperary-----

Thank you, Deputy.

-----to north Tipperary and Nenagh. It is daylight robbery.

I beg your pardon. I opposed that at the time, and Deputy McGrath knows that. How dare he assert that I-----

There was confidence and supply.

I was not in government at the time. I opposed it.

You were supporting it.

How dare you.

Is the Tánaiste suffering from memory loss? Fianna Fáil was in a confidence and supply agreement síos anseo.

No.

The Tánaiste was sitting there like a nodding donkey all the time during confidence and supply.

This was in 2014.

Deputy, please.

Were you not? My God, the state of the spin and lies. The Tánaiste was there.

I beg your pardon. I am not spinning any lies. You are.

You were. The facts are-----

Will the Deputy allow the Tánaiste to respond?

I want to make the point that-----

You allowed it to go through-----

I did not.

-----on a wink and a nod.

It was 2014.

Check the record. Yes.

There was no confidence and supply in 2014.

No.

That was in 2016.

None. Deputy McGrath is right that the then Minister, Deputy Howlin, acknowledged it. The Labour Party brought it in and Fine Gael agreed to it at the time.

Will you-----

Deputy Howlin acknowledged subsequently that he felt it was the wrong move. At the start of the last Government, Deputy McGrath refused to back this Government-----

You did not want us in government.

-----even though I want to restore urban councils. We have a policy in Fianna Fáil to restore urban councils.

When?

I believe they are essential to progression of towns the length and breadth of the country. I thought they were a very good exercise in local democracy. I believe urban councils are a very good exercise in terms of local people coming together to do what is right for their locality.

Hear, hear.

Will the Government restore the borough councils?

I ask Deputy McGrath to withdraw his assertion that I somehow was involved.

No, I will not. When will he return them?