Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I might just make three points. It is probably true also of my colleagues, but I never brought legislation to the House that I did not understand or did not support 100%, because I had to argue it through the Government before it ever came near here. That is just not factual and I think my record would show that to be absolutely the case.

On the functioning of councils in better local government, we put a great deal of effort into creating a new model for delivery. In truth, it has never happened, but it is still a relevant model. The idea was that the strategic policy committees, such as the housing committee, would be chaired by a councillor. He or she would be the de facto minister for housing of the local authority, and the director of service would be answerable to that person. The corporate body would be the cabinet of the council and it would control the business of the council. At every monthly meeting, it would not be the director of service for housing who would make the housing report but the chair of the housing committee, and the same is true of the economic committee and so on. That was the model we envisaged in better local government and which was enacted in legislation. I think it is still a good model, if it could be done. It would really rebalance things. Changing the name of the county manager to "chief executive officer" was because he or she was to carry out the directions of the board of management, not to be the manager. The model needs to be reinforced rather than trying to invent a new one.

On the issue of what to do with local town councils, I happen to have a Bill, the restoration of town councils Bill-----