Mr. Andrew McGuinness:

I will add to that. I agree with everything Councillor Frain has just said. I believe there is an onus on the local authorities as well. I share the frustration expressed by the Deputy. It is not just in regional assemblies; it is in local democracy right across the board. It is gradually stripped back further and further at every election. In Kilkenny County Council we have two members on the Southern Regional Assembly. There should be a greater input from Kilkenny County Council, for example, by way of including it as an agenda item on their council meetings for monthly reports. This would raise it with all of the other elected members on Kilkenny County Council - or any council - who may not be fully aware of the workings of their local regional assembly. When we look at the amount of money that has been invested in various projects and the amount of success the regional assemblies have had, I believe that the regional assemblies do not get enough public recognition for the work they do. I am not looking for the clap on the back. I am looking for that by way of the general public knowing and understanding what the regional assemblies are there for, what they are all about, and the opportunities they present through their local authorities. The onus is on the local authorities to work a bit better and more publicly with the regional assemblies. That is my opinion.