Dr. John Sheehan:

-----who roll up their sleeves every day, work hard and dig in, whether it is in the context of housing policy, environment policy or planning policy. There will be a couple of people who will come into council meetings with something on the back of a fag box and create mayhem, and there will be serial objectors to everything councils try to do, but we must put those people aside. There is a certain cohort in every local authority who take their duties and responsibilities to the nth degree every day. If members are looking at this planning Bill from a committee point of view, they should wear that set of glasses.

The regional assembly members and directors who are present have gone through the recess with sitting councillors and have found them to be very responsible in the context of what they are doing. I sit on the southern assembly with Mr. Kelly, and I know Mr. Minton and Mr. Jim Conway quite well. That is because we put ourselves out there to find out what the issues are and roll up our sleeves with regard to what the planning Acts do and so on. If I were to leave the Senator with one thought, it is that councillors do their jobs and do them well.