Local government budgets will be challenging for many councils across Ireland this autumn. I am particularly concerned that the local authorities in both Sligo and Leitrim are awaiting payment from the Department of housing for the damage caused last January due to Storm Éowyn. I understand the figure is up to €1.5 million. The same local authorities have raised the local property tax, LPT, by 15% over the past six years and members have raised the commercial rates every year, including last year, by 5% to borrow money to meet the core funding obligations under capital plans for expansion. Local authorities in the north west, particularly in the north and western region, should not be left short-changed. I urge the Taoiseach to get what is owed paid and ensure the equalisation fund is not diluted for the smaller local authorities with a small rates and LPT base.

I appreciate the Deputy has raised this issue in terms of broader local authority financing and, specifically, in terms of Storm Éowyn. I will engage with the Minister for housing on this. Overall, in the past five years, significant resources have been allocated to local authorities. That has to be acknowledged. It is quite substantial on many fronts and a lot of work has been enabled because of that. However, demands, services and so on have created additional expenditure obligations. We are working with the Departments of Social Protection and community and rural development in respect of resourcing hubs and networks to deal with future storms. We saw in some areas where such networks were established that they were effective and played a huge role in helping the communities. I will come back to the Deputy on the specifics of reimbursement.