Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I would like to make a point in response to what Mr. Geissel is saying about policy. From my experience as a councillor - I am not sure if anybody wants to talk to their experience as a Deputy - it is very difficult to interpret much of the information that is given to us as part-timers. When I was the chair of the transport and planning strategic policy committee, each year we had four sessions of an hour and a half each. It was put out there that I was directing policy. How can anybody direct policy as chair in such circumstances? My job was to chair. I was told what we were doing. I say that seriously and respectfully. How can somebody like me be expected to direct policy when the director of planning and transport is a full-time employee of the State, with a crew of up to 50 staff? In my case, the particular director was very good to me. We sat down and talked about stuff, but I was on the fringe. To say that politicians are directing policy at that level is not really the case.

If I get re-elected, I will definitely push to bring back the town councils as I believe it was criminal to get rid of them. I believe it was done at the behest of the IMF as a money-saving exercise. I do not believe it is fair that our people are not represented. I come from a small town in County Monaghan, where one can meet one’s public representatives on the street to talk to them about stuff and it goes up the line and back.