Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to make a few brief comments on which I do not expect the Minister of State to respond. I do not doubt his personal capacity and eagerness to get on with this job but my role is to articulate what sitting councillors want me to articulate on their behalf, which is reasonable and fair.

Deputy Coppinger is of the view that being a councillor is not a full-time job. My experience of councillors of the left, specifically People Before Profit in Dún Laoghaire, is that they are full-time councillors and they perform their role effectively. My experience of engagement with city and county councillors on the left is that they more than any group of councillors perform the role of councillor on a full-time basis. I ask the Deputy to take that message back to her group and her political contacts in this House and the council of which she was a member. They are engaging full-time in the hope that they will gain election to this House, as in the case of the Deputy. Let us be fair; how councillors use their time is their choice. It is about choice. Some people are less involved in the committees but they take on other responsibilities. Good county managers and good county councils work well together. I acknowledge chief executives throughout the country who work hard and who are pragmatists. Good councillors and good chief executives work well together. They assist each other in the work of the council. Councillors are the first port of call when there is a crisis in a community, be that drought, flooding and so on, often receiving calls at 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. Deputy Maria Bailey will know that when we were councillors we were that first port of call.

I wish the process well. I do not doubt the commitment of the Minister of State to it. The sooner it is up and running the better. It would be helpful if Ms Moorhead could set out the timeframe for the engagement because as of yet we do know when or where it will start. Keeping the communication flowing to councillors would also be helpful and might allay some of their fears. This is how it should happen in modular terms,.