Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I appreciate the Cathaoirleach facilitating me. I am not member of the committee but I am a Member of the Seanad and I depend on councillors, just like every other Member of the Seanad. I was never a city or county councillor, but I wish to address the issue of pay. I first brought up the issue of pay in 2015, when I first came in here. I cannot for the life of me understand why councillors’ allowance is regarded as a taxable pay. On getting elected, I get a salary, an allowance and my expenses – telephone, computer and everything – supplied. What makes councillors different? Why is the allowance they are paid regarded as taxable and insurable? Surely to God the money they are paid is money they need to engage with their communities. We have to take this up. The money that is paid to councillors should be paid to them to do the work they do. I get thousands of envelopes allocated to me that I never use because I do not engage with local communities. It is not my job as a national politician. We have too many politicians in this country who want to be county councillors and Members or potential Members of the Dáil and Seanad. You are one or the other. Do the job you are paid to do. I people have come to my house. Councillor Saul lives in my constituency. I love his signs, which are all over the place, on public meetings coming up in the near future. I will not attend on this occasion. Councillors Barry Saul, Deirdre Donnelly and Anne Colgan are there within my community to do the work at local level, so why would I engage with it? Why would I involve myself in it? I have enough to do in the Seanad.

We need a reform of the way the political system works. We need powers sent back to county councillors. There is too much centralisation. Legislation has passed through this House - no blame to any of my colleagues. I am answerable only to you and God, but my colleagues are answerable to their parties. The Civil Service is ramming through legislation that is limiting councillors’ powers more and more every year. We saw the policing Bill and we will see the planning legislation coming through soon, as well as other legislation. They will eventually leave councillors with nothing. The three sections of government – local government, the Dáil and the Seanad - must come together to curtail the power of the Civil Service and make it more answerable to elected personnel.

I thank everyone for their time.