Mr. Harry Deane:

I thank the Cathaoirleach, the Leader, the Deputy Leader, the rapporteur and the rest of the Senators for the opportunity to speak here today.

I am a politics and society teacher with a background in political science from UCD and a passion for local government reform, stemming from my father who is currently serving as a representative on Meath County Council.

From my extensive research, our local government is losing power and relevance. This problem of having a weak local government has found its way into the lives of TDs. As a result, a stronger local government could help reduce the excessive focus on local matters by TDs. A 2010 survey, conducted by the Oireachtas Library and Research Service, found that TDs, on average, spent 53% of their working week on constituency-based work and 38% on parliamentary duties. The survey was conducted four years before Ireland abolished 80 town councils, bringing the number of local representatives from 1,627 to 949. This shift to centralise most of the local government's original responsibilities is another reason TDs are forced to deal with local issues. If we returned some of the power and responsibilities to local government, we would not only give people a more democratic society but also make them feel like their voice is being heard in a system that is heavily centralised. It is time for Deputies to focus on policy, not just potholes.

I understand first-hand that both local representatives and citizens can feel frustrated by the limited power of local government. The role of local government is to be a voice of the community and the most accessible form of government but it is challenging to address issues when power is concentrated at a higher level. Therefore, let us give power back to the people, where it belongs, in their local communities.

In Ireland, there is a problem with representation as, according to Article 16.2.2° of the Constitution, it is our constitutional right to have one TD represent every 20,000 to 30,000 citizens, which is currently not being met. It is puzzling that instead of increasing local representation town councils were abolished in 2014, eliminating a crucial layer of governance.

When comparing Ireland's local government with a similar system in Denmark to understand why Ireland's local government is considered weak, similar themes and trends emerge. Despite Ireland undergoing reform in 2012, the effectiveness of this reform is questionable when compared with that of Denmark. Denmark's 2007 reform decentralised local government and granted local government decision-making power in key sectors such as education, pensions and healthcare. The decline in interest can also be observed through voting turnout and public opinion, with other EU countries like France achieving success through decentralisation. Since the 1970s, Ireland has seen a significant decrease in voter turnout for local government elections while Denmark's turnout has remained high post reform.

Ireland has been moved towards centralisation with a reduction in local government powers and a transfer of authority to central government. Denmark and France have done it. Let us learn successful models and make local government work for Ireland.