Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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I have never argued for the retention of all town councils. In fact, I have stated clearly that some are very tiny and effectively unsustainable. Clearly, however, a district council, as most people understand it, is very different from what is being proposed here. A district council tier would be autonomous, first and foremost, and that is where I see the major flaw in this legislation - that it fails to give people control over their own affairs at a level with which they can identify.

That is the case in most organisations. Most of the successful initiatives happen at a community level. People trust the organisations at community level. It is where people have chosen to live but the disappointing aspect of this opportunity for reform is that that is not the way it has played out.

On the general Government deficit, is the Minister telling us that restrictions in that regard will be relaxed once the programme has concluded next week? Is he saying there will be a difference in that respect? I am trying to understand it. If the county councils and the local authorities are part of that general Government deficit and the purse strings are relaxed for local authorities with funds on deposit, how will that play out generally? Will those restrictions be relaxed only for the town councils that will be disbanded or will that be the case generally? For example, a good deal of funds from development contributions are sitting in bank accounts and cannot be spent because of that restriction.