Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

On a lighter note, I acknowledge many positive things are happening in local government. Let us be fair. Senator Cassells made a good point on the sourcing of the streams. Maybe that is an issue. Money is coming and it is coming with great announcements by Ministers. It is a valid point and I take it on board.

The recurring theme of these meetings has been empowering our city and county councillors. That is my focus here anyway. Three county development plans at different stages have passed through my hands. We will talk about that in greater detail this afternoon. I will not use this time to talk about it but, clearly, councillors of all groups feel pressurised and undermined with regard to the county development process and timescale. I will talk about that this afternoon.

The real issue is councillors are not lawyers, accountants or planners. They wish to have independent legal, financial and planning advice available to them when required. It is not always required. Most things are sorted out through the chief executive or law agent of the council but there are times when there is conflict and it is important we have a panel system of independent expert advice. We know of cases where councils have had to take litigation against their local authorities and their decisions have been confirmed. There are conflicts and that is an issue we need to look at. I am thinking of a mechanism for legal and financial advice that would be subject to resolution of the council; you cannot have everyone jumping up and down looking for advice on everything.

We need a statutory city and county planner who is not under the chief executive of a local authority but is parallel, and who makes decisions not at the behest of the chief executive of the council but based on proper planning and sustainable development. That would instil huge confidence in our elected councillors. Everyone wants to do the right thing and to improve the public realm and planning. They want citizens' engagement. We are all advocates and represent the citizens.

I ask the Ministers of State to take that one simple thought away today. They have it in Scotland. There is a model for it. It is a statutory county planner who sits parallel to, not below, the chief executive of the local authority and who makes decisions not out of political expedience or to suit someone's agenda, but to suit proper planning and sustainable development. I thank the Ministers of State and wish them well with their ongoing work in local government.