Councillor Noel Bourke:

I join Councillor McElvaney in saying we are glad to attend this meeting. What we are trying to do is put conditions in place under the new local government structures whereby councillors can carry out their work as local, elected representatives in an efficient and effective way, without duplication and with as little red tape and bureaucracy as possible. This is a new situation for councillors. We will now have fewer councillors, with the number reducing from over 1,600 to 949. Councillors will now have a greater workload and with larger electoral areas there will be fewer councillors in all counties except in Dublin and the eastern seaboard, which will have increased numbers on county and city councils, although the towns outside of Dublin on the eastern seaboard will lose their town councils. In the midlands and most of the counties on the western seaboard, there will be fewer councillors, taking into account the reduction in the abolition of the town councils.

This presents a big challenge to the councillors who will be elected in the elections next May. What we are trying to do is to put a package of regulations in place that will enable councillors to carry out their work in an efficient and effective way.