Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

When town councils were abolished, there was a €5 million saving with a 40% reduction in the number of councillors. As I said, the Minister of State needs to look at this. It boils down to funding. No matter what anyone says, I firmly believe that the reason the town councils were abolished was funding. Regarding the €5 million that has been saved through the abolition of town councils and the 40% reduction in the number of councillors, whose workloads have trebled, can we not look at giving them back the proper money for the work they do and give them back their powers, if only in appreciation of their workload? This is where we are falling down.