I am not aware of comments by the chief executive of the Heritage Council to this effect.
Local authorities fund expenditure on services, including maintenance of green spaces, from a variety of sources including specific State grants, commercial rates, fees and charges for goods and services and general purpose grants from the local government fund. Increased funds are also becoming available to local authorities for capital improvement of infrastructures and amenities from their schemes of development contributions which were finalised in 2004. The general purpose grants allocated to local authorities for 2005 amount to some €817 million, representing an increase of 8.6%, or more than double the rate of inflation, on the corresponding figure for 2004 and an increase of some 130% on the 1997 provision. I am satisfied that this level of funding, together with the current funding available to local authorities from other sources, enables them to provide a satisfactory level of services. It is, of course, a matter for each local authority to prioritise its expenditure within the resources available to it and to operate its services as efficiently and effectively as possible.