Mr. Shane O'Reilly:

To be totally honest with Senator Rose Conway-Walsh, our greatest fear is not only that people will not run. Deputy Dara Calleary asked if it would dissuade people from running for local office. The Senator was a councillor for a long time and represented the people very well. Not alone would this measure dissuade people from running in the local elections but, as Mr. Moylan pointed out, there must also be a balance in the council chamber. The Senator is aware - a number of Senators present were councillors - that in a place of employment people must be employed who understand what is going, there must be a gender balance and so on. Local government in Ireland is starting to become a place for those who are self-employed or retired, which is not fair.

Every year there is more and more red tape and bureaucracy for councillors. Senator Gerry Horkan has spoken about the increased burden imposed by administration. We would have no issue with the extra administration if we were given a few pounds to cover it, but once again councillors are being targeted as full-time, paid employees of county councils. They are not; they are office holders. They are, however, designated in the Bill as being in category A which includes Oireachtas Members and other full-time representatives. They are not full-time but part-time and serve their communities as best they can. Committee members are correct that councillors all have another place of employment to ensure they can support their families financially. Further remuneration was announced last week, but it equates to €520 per year or €10 per week. While we are very excited about whatever remuneration we receive as local councillors, once again we are bearing the brunt of further legislation that will be especially prohibitive for those who want to run for local office. We ask that councillors remain in category B because including them in category A is actually bringing them to a stage where they will be full-time, paid employees. If the legislators want to put us in category A, let them pay us as individuals included in that category. That is where I am coming from in this debate and I am sure everyone around the table agrees with me. The administration burden put on councillors is absolutely chronic and onerous.