Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank everyone who has made contributions today. Councillor Gearóid Murphy started off by mentioning the issue of privilege. My own local authority is talking about CCTV cameras and the recording of council meetings, which will bring a new level to this. There has to be a discussion about privilege and it is something this report has to do. Senators Black and Boyhan are right in that we have a chance here to put together a report that will make a difference, rather than being a report that will stay on a shelf somewhere. That cannot be allowed to happen. We have been here before. I was a councillor for 11 years and I have heard all of these reports and talks about what is going to happen and all that. I am now on this side of the desk and I have an opportunity to try to do something about this. That is why I wanted to be a member of this committee because I believe it can make a difference. It is of no use if we prepare a report that ends up on the shelf. That is key to what has been asked today and we have to deliver on it.

The issue of rates was raised. I was on that side as a councillor in trying to keep an office open as a councillor. It needs to happen as it cannot happen without it. Councillors need to have an office and need to have the support. A rates bill is not going to help any councillor keep his or her doors open. There is no doubt about that.

Regarding the abuse, let us be serious about it. I can say that I personally have experienced a lot of abuse, as have other people. I do not think we can just say that nothing can happen about it. I know some councillors have been all over the world in relation to trying to do something about it.. We have to take on board what was said today. It came out many times loud and clear in conversations today that many potential councillors will not go forward or councillors are leaving because of the abuse, then simply it has to happen. There are a number of Bills before us, we have to take it seriously and we have to work with it. I have been in this position and other councillors have mentioned the abuse today. It is a takeaway from here today that we actually need to do something about it. It cannot continue and it cannot stop people from going for local elections, because democracy is key to everything we have.

Councillor Máirín McGrath and others spoke about the JPC. Some of us did listen to what was said by the councillors in December. Unfortunately, as sometimes happens in a democracy, it was defeated. As Senator Boyhan said, we tried to bring it in again yesterday and unfortunately we were defeated again. I assure the councillors that we are listening in this regard. This needs to be brought home loud and clear to all parties. Promises were made by the Minister when she sat here that she will do something about it and we wait to see what the outcome will be of that promise.

Finally I am going back to Councillors Tom Fortune and Aoife Flynn Kennedy on the town teams. I cannot get over that. It is the one takeaway that I just cannot get over today. I will follow up on what Bray is proposing because that is not democracy. With the greatest respect, those people might be great community people but the councillors are the people who put their names on the ballot papers, as I said earlier. That is one takeaway we need to look at.