Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I support the request from my colleagues not to impose a guillotine because it is a critical Bill that is being introduced by the Minister to abolish the representation of county councillors on health boards. We are approaching a local election and the Government is effectively saying that not alone are councillors superfluous, but it is denigrating the role they have played over the years. It now sees the opportunity to circle the wagons, to make decisions behind closed doors, including the implementation of the Hanly report, where no questions can be asked in the next critical six months, when all decisions about the health services will be made.

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