Councillor Patricia McCarthy:

Yes, but prior to 2001 there was no population requirement. The restriction did not apply before then and once the people decided they wanted it, a plebiscite was held and a decision was made, which is what happened in Shannon. It was the best thing that ever happened to Shannon, to become part of the system. Up to that point, we had tried town councils, political alliances and so forth but they had all fallen by the wayside. It is to the credit of the political system that Shannon has survived as a local authority town since 1982 or 1983.

It is good that the municipal districts will give status and recognition to towns within their district. That is a good thing, as is the fact that there will be equal representation. I cannot deny that this move is a good one and I certainly welcome it. Deputy Stanley asked if we welcomed the coming in of the hinterland to the towns and we do. We believe that a strong town can help a hinterland to develop. We would see that in the case of Limerick city, where the city should be the centre of the region and if the city is strong, the rising tide will lift all boats.

A vibrant town can help its hinterland.

The Association of Municipal Authorities in Ireland made a strong submission several years ago seeking more devolved powers for municipal authorities in the areas of health, education and policing. We did have joint policing committees, with public discussions between communities and the Garda, which proved beneficial. They also allow us to have an input into yearly policing plans. There has also been the involvement of community forums. We need to strengthen these initiatives and increase participation.

There is no reason a block grant from the national lottery cannot be decided by a municipal authority. There is no need to centralise such decisions.

On the question of regional authority representation, we agree two is a small number, but that is the hand with which we have been dealt. A group can get together to sign a petition that it wants to nominate a person. I am not sure if that works in the case of two, but it works in the case of three positions. Perhaps the legislation will have to be tweaked to ensure proper representation. We are all politicians in this room. The one thing we do after elections is get together, haggle and reach an agreement. That is how I see positions being divided out, but that safeguard is provided in the existing legislation for the minority groupings. I have seen nothing in the Bill that removes it.