I extend my sympathy to the Lucas family. It was very sad and the whole of Ireland was in shock when we heard it on the news and read about it.

As the Leader is aware, this is the time local authorities to do their budgets. Councils have experienced major changes. The most significant issue for local authorities is the abolition of all of the town councils. Additional issues are the cost of the land aggregation scheme and the loss of rates from the local enterprise offices, LEOs, and utilities such as the ESB, Bord Gáis and Eir. In my local authority, on average, 40% of people are in the €90 local property tax category, another 40% are in the €225 category, while 20% are in the €320 category; in other words, in the three lowest categories, like in many small towns. If the Minister does not give extra capital funding or does not come to some agreement with local authorities, services will be cut, which will affect the normal person in the maintenance of libraries, parks and roads. I have addressed the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Simon Coveney, on this issue, but I have not received a reply. It is very unfair for him to compare cities and larger towns, which can take in extra funding using different tools and other local property taxes, with smaller towns which cannot do. I, therefore, ask the Leader to contact the Minister to ask him to return to the local authorities which have been seeking extra capital funding or some agreement in order that budgets can be passed for 2017.