John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The point the vice chairman has made is virtually identical to the first point that Deputy Fergus O'Dowd made. There are similarities between Bray and Drogheda in that sense. I will certainly talk to my colleagues regarding the planning and development proposals under the national development plan and whether further resources be given to the districts with towns that have experienced large development and where significant development will take place in the next few years.

The Vice Chairman also struck the nail in the head in respect of what we are saying about towns. We are not going back to town councils, partly because some places had town councils and others that were much bigger did not. Some boundaries did not reflect the modern reality of towns but a town should not be seen in isolation. Most towns have a natural hinterland. What is envisaged in the review that is about to be published on 13 June is that the natural hinterland will be included with the town and that it will not just end at an arbitrary town boundary that might have been fixed in the 1950s, and that additional fundraising powers, as well as spending powers, will be given to municipal districts. It is a half-way house in comparison to what was there previously and some of the changes that were made.

However, the primary issue was the lack of democracy in giving some people two votes and others one. That is fundamentally wrong. What we are trying to do, and what I hope and believe that the report due on 13 June will achieve, is a proper merger of town governance in one local authority. A total of 30 is a sufficient number of local authorities for the size of the country. Wicklow had town councils in Arklow, Bray, Greystones and Wicklow.