Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are happy to attend any time to seek the committee's advice on the changes we are bringing through. We look forward to the report on pre-legislative scrutiny of this current Bill but as we go through other significant changes for reforming the way local authority members go about their business, we will be happy to keep the committee informed and seek its views at every juncture along the way. It is amazing. The Moorhead report is one of those reports that has been hanging around so long. One thing that shocked me was that this is so universally accepted among our citizens. A lot of people were worried that a slant would be put on it that this is a pay rise for politicians. People were shocked when they saw how lowly paid councillors were in society versus the amount of work they do and the number of committees they are on. They are the closest arm of local government to communities.

Schedule 10 of the Local Government Act 2001 sets the casual vacancy process. The Deputy may have a point on this matter. I will have to have a look at it. As I said at the outset, from engaging with political parties and our 949 local authority members, I do not see an issue whereby councillors will conspire against or try to stand in the way of a woman being nominated. However, I have seen different standing orders in other local authority areas around Independent candidates putting forward a replacement if they resign. That is something we are having a look at as part of a wider piece of work in the Department because it was brought to our attention in a case during the summer. I would be happy to look at the example of the homeless family the Deputy raised to see how we can better frame or advise local authorities on their standing orders.