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

I will try to answer the questions raised, many of which were asked by several members.

Deputy Casey and others expressed regret that the amendments had been tabled late in the day. I am not criticising the committee, but they all flow from a report adopted by the Government six months ago which was sent to the committee.

I have always said there should be two committees in this area. In the case of the four areas where boundary reviews were conducted, there was an acceptance - even taking me out of the picture, which is difficult to do - that by their nature issues in towns and cities that crossed boundaries were intractable. It goes to the heart of the Irish identity, the connection with place, parish, community and county. It was felt, even before I arrived in this position, that we had to look at some new structure that would allow county boundaries to remain as they were but that would also allow for the proper planning and development of cities that spilled into two local authority areas. I do not know if there are cities that spill into three local authority areas. The amendments deal solely with towns with a population between 1,500 and 100,000. I agree with Deputy Ó Broin that things that work well in one area may not work well in another, which is a fair point. The premise is to have a full development plan for these towns. At present both local authorities do their own thing. A good example was mentioned by Deputy Ó Broin last night. He said there had been good co-operation since the 1950s between the authorities in Carlow town and County Laois. With many shared services, at the end of the year a cheque is exchanged. The local authority in Carlow is delivering services for thousands of people who live in County Laois. It was mentioned in one of the boundary review reports, in respect of which, interestingly, there were only seven submissions received from the general public. Deputy Eugene Murphy would know about the 20,000 plus submissions received in County Roscommon, while approximately the same number of submissions were received in my own neck of the woods. However, only seven people living in County Laois and Carlow made submissions because the co-operation had worked, but it is non-statutory. They also compile their own local area plans independently. What we are looking at is providing for functions that are either not performed fully or not performed at all under the existing local government structure. One of the key of functions functions is being provided for to deal with the inability of the system to compile a full plan for a town or a city.

Every speaker raised this issue. Deputy O'Dowd gave a real example in outlining why this measure or its equivalent was needed. I emphasise that I am fully open - it will be at least two weeks before we take Report Stage - to sitting down with spokespersons and whoever else wants to attend from the different groups and the Independents to discuss the issue. To accommmodate them, I will table my own ministerial amendments. There is nothing underhand being done. In every speech I have made to local authority members, the management association and in the Chamber, both on this Bill and Private Members' Bills on town councils, of which there have been a few, I have spelled out that there will be a joint structure to deal with forward planning in towns and cities. That is what the Bill aims to achieve. My private secretary will email all members of the joint committee - other colleagues can be brought along if they so wish - and on Tuesday of next week they can sit down with me and the officials to identify the wording or hierarchy to be used. I believe that is what Deputy Ó Broin was referring to yesterday.

I am acutely aware that I was attacked from all sides on Deputy Cullinane's local radio station. It was said this was my revenge on Waterford, but nothing could be further from the truth.