Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 183:

In page 171, lines 30 to 32, column 2, to delete", training or other meeting or event" and substitute"or other meeting or event, or to avail of training or attend training events".

Section 21(4), in conjunction with Schedule 3, inserts a new Schedule 14A in the Principal Act which specifies the reserved functions of the elected council of a local authority to be performed by the municipal district members, which are listed in Part 1 of the Schedule, by either the municipal district members or the members of the overall local authority, which are listed in Part 2 of the Schedule, or by members of the overall local authority only, which are listed in Part 3 of the Schedule.

These four amendments make a number of drafting changes to the Schedule as it appears in the Bill. Amendment No. 183 is a technical amendment arising out of the separation of the provisions in regard to attendance at conferences, seminars and so on from attendance at training or training events. A new subsection (5A) is inserted into section 148 of the principal Act by section 48(2)(d) of the Bill providing for training for elected members. The separation of the treatment of conferences from training will enable the Minister of the day to apply more robust rules to restrict attendance and claiming of expenses at conferences compared with attendance at training specially developed for elected members. This amendment is to represent more correctly the different approaches to conferences and training in the listing of reserved functions.

Amendments Nos. 186 and 187 are technical amendments to provide for the correct legal references to the Arterial Drainage Act 1945 and to those sections of the Coast Protection Act 1963 under which reserved powers are to be exercised by local authority members. Amendment No. 188 is related to amendment No. 187 and amends the text in regard to reserved powers under the Coast Protection Act 1963 to include a reference to section 18.