John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

On local representation, an unusual phenomenon occurred on polling day in the recent local elections. I refer to the fact that voters in Clonakilty elected their own mayor. I do not know if Mr. McCarthy is aware of this, but it is an interesting development. It was considered there was a dearth of representation in the aftermath of the abolition of town councils and, as a result, voters directly elected a mayor. I am surprised Mr. McCarthy does not know this, particularly as the Local Government Reform Act does not preclude the existence of other representative structures in more localised areas. I can understand why the people of Clonakilty did what they did. I come from Dungarvan, the county town of Waterford which had a local authority and a town council for many decades. However, we have moved from a situation where there were probably close to 12 councillors living within the town boundaries to a point where there is only one. I am not going to discuss the pros and cons of abolishing the town councils, but the Act makes specific reference to the potential existence of other representative structures. The people of Clonakilty noticed this and elected their own mayor. They obviously believe this is an advantage and of benefit to the town. When it comes to twinning with other locations or inviting people to visit the town for business and commercial purposes, having a mayor is a plus. Given that the Act does not preclude the existence of different democratic structures, will the Department accept applications for funding from the relevant entities?