One hundred percent is greater than 92%.

What we are guaranteeing is what the CCMA, the representative group of the managers of each of the 31 local authorities, sought from us. As I said in response to Deputy Darragh O'Brien, the monthly shortfall in terms of commercial rates is about €85 million or €86 million. We should also bear in mind some of the other fees that councils are not gathering now because of decreases in the number of planning applications and reductions in car parking charges. Deputy Murnane O'Connor mentioned Carlow and other places wh…

I will bring this specific issue to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, again. Many Members of the House are keen to reactivate the planning process with regard to exiting Covid-19 measures. The points the Deputy made are valid and I will certainly bring them to the Minister's attention. With regard to co-living, any private operator or State agency may want to apply for planning permission. I cannot remember the word the Deputy used but I, as Minister of State, cannot determine the planning applic…

He can but individual applications that are before the planning authorities at present-----

-----will still be judged by each of the planning authorities and by An Bord Pleanála. An Bord Pleanála was mentioned earlier. It is the ultimate planning authority in the land. It will deal with any current applications or applications made in the near future with regard to co-living.

I agree with virtually everything the Deputy said. The collection of these moneys is a matter for each local authority and it has not been brought to my attention that councils need any extra powers in this regard. At the time the vacant site levy was introduced, and in respect of the amending legislation which was brought in afterwards in relation to farm lands, the powers were put in place. I saw the report to which the Deputy referred and she is right to point out her concerns. I am not trying to underestimate a…

I am afraid the Deputy will have to wait a little longer. I am recording the questions and I will relay the ones that fall into the housing category to the Minister. Local government does not have a direct responsibility for the mica and pyrite issue. However, the Deputy is right. My wife is from north Leitrim so I know south Donegal. I have seen at first hand, as well as some of the images of, the houses that have been affected by mica, as well as the houses affected by pyrite in and around the greater Dublin area…

Yes.

I confirm to the House that, hopefully, following the Cabinet decision this Friday, it is the intention to reimburse local authorities, large and small, as soon as possible thereafter, certainly early in the month of June. There would have been extensive consultation between the Departments, both at official and political level, with local authorities across the country in regard to their financial position. All of them indicated that until the end of June, their financial position was okay but they do need a longe…

The Deputy is right in his assessment that remote working and working from home are very much here to stay. One of the key proposals by the outgoing Government in that regard was the national broadband plan. In the current crisis, we have seen bottlenecks in people's connectivity in many rural areas in particular, but also in some urban areas. The importance of the delivery of that plan has never been more apparent than it has been in recent weeks when so many people have been either in a position to work from home…

Several people asked that question and I did not get to answer it. The Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has committed to the extension of the rent freeze and the eviction ban as part of a general check on where we are regarding the crisis. Once that time period elapses at the end of June, he has not given a commitment, but he has said it will be firmly looked at depending on where we are in terms of the point of reopening and recovery. I acknowledge that it is unlikely that we will be much further advanced in three …

That is an area where local authorities could usefully change. I want to get the point across about council meetings.

Councils set their own standing orders. Many councils were very quick to write to the Department or to me about how they were to hold meetings. It is a matter for themselves. Most have now amended their standing orders to allow for meetings in lecture theatres and so on. All 31 councils now have facilities for their AGMs which fall next month. There is a place for virtual meetings in terms of briefings but when making statutory decisions, I still believe a physical meeting is necessary. Local authorities have it in…

To answer as briefly as possible, the figures that were calculated following a line-by-line analysis by the CCMA and presented to the local government section in the Department led us to arrive at the figure of €260 million.

Yes, it is a guesstimate.

It is difficult for me to say in advance, as I will not be the one sitting at the Cabinet table, but that is absolutely my intention. The 100% of what was sought by the CCMA is included in the €260 million figure. It is very much my intention that if the guesstimate underestimates the amount of money that we expect businesses that have stayed open to contribute in commercial rates that we would meet the full balance of it. That is the intention.

Yes, that is a commitment. I will let the Deputy ask his next question.

That is very much the intention at the moment.

It would be asking them to pay twice.

Friday's decision is in relation to-----