Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy about the resourcing of local authorities and the need to increase across a whole range of different areas. We have been doing this in the area of climate. We established the four climate action regional offices, CAROs. There may be smaller counties where there might be a total staff in the county of about 300, 400 or 500. That is difficult. Having regional offices with expertise and strength helps. They have been funded to the tune of €10 million. We have also put in new climate community liaison officers and climate development officers in every single council. Those positions have been filled, as I recall, and we are about to roll out further community funding for climate action at community level.

I accept the Deputy's point that on its own this will not be enough, but it is also sometimes about attitude. I have seen with some of the councils I have visited, even within the constrained resources, it is almost more an attitude of mind where this is seen as an opportunity for leadership within the existing resources. They need to be expanded. Others see it, in my mind, as a narrow interpretation of what they could and should do.

The opportunity is also seen in a lot of towns that are starting to embrace this change as an ability, with town centre first, to bring life and economic development back in by defining themselves in this way. It is not just from an environmental perspective but as a better way of life, with the healthier towns and healthier communities that come out of it. I hope some of that attitude across all the employees of the local authorities will be encouraged by the climate action plans.

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