Mr. Breandán Fitzgerald:

I thank the Cathaoirleach for that reminder. My father used to always say, "A seat is what you make it", which is very appropriate here. Whether you are in the council, the Dáil or the Seanad, what you do with the seat is what you do. I know that is fairly simplistic. I saw what Senator Daly did when he was Cathaoirleach of the Seanad and the level of input and momentum he brought back to the Seanad. For all of us here, it is an absolute privilege to be in a position in which people voted for us. I was given the opportunity in 2009 when our good friend, Councillor Breandán Mac Gearailt, retired from the council after many years of distinguished service. If I was to say that was an opportunity for me, as a candidate running for Fianna Fáil, people would probably not agree with me because the abuse that was heaped on us on the doorsteps in 2009 was unreal, although I suppose it was merited. I kept on going. I did not succeed. We had a three-seat electoral area at that stage. If we fast-forward to 2014, Corca Dhuibhne-Dingle local electoral area was changed from a three-seater to a nine-seater. It went all the way from Dunquin down to the Cathaoirleach's home town in Kenmare. It is a massive area. It does not merit local government. It was a Dáil seat, basically. If we fast-forward to 2019, the area became a three-seater again but it joined up with Castleisland, so now there is the municipal district of Castleisland-Corca Dhuibhne, with three elected in Corca Dhuibhne and four in Castleisland. There have been changes. Thankfully, in 2019, I got elected.

In this next election, I am faced with a decision because of Údarás na Gaeltachta, as has been discussed. We did not have a town council in Corca Dhuibhne but we had Údarás na Gaeltachta. They were directly elected people who held a seat on Údarás na Gaeltachta. That was abolished. Now, it is being talked about again that it will come back. We do not know if the elections will be on the same day as the local and European elections. There is talk that, because I am a councillor, I will prohibited from sitting on the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta. I think I can stand for election to it but I cannot sit on the board. If I am to serve the people I represent in Corca Dhuibhne, half of which is in the Gaeltacht and half outside it, you cannot take powers away from a county councillor, vest them in Údarás na Gaeltachta and leave me different from my councillor colleagues in Killarney. Whatever about the powers we do not have, I must have an equal say in what the council can do going forward.

To recall what my father said, a seat is what we make it. We are so privileged to be given the trust of the people we represent. It is a privilege I value and hold dearly. Abuse online or offline will not make me make my decision. It will be the people who elect me or not. They will make my decision for me. I look forward to that come 7 June. I thank the Cathaoirleach.