Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)

The adoption of waste management plans used to be a matter for members of local authorities. However, the Government introduced legislation which took the responsibility away from members of local authorities and gave it to city and county managers who, when the Minister tells them to jump, ask "How high?" They jump to do what the Minister wants and this happens throughout the country. Local authority members have been bypassed.

Further legislation was introduced to remove people like me, Deputy O'Dowd and others from local authorities. Now we can no longer liaise between the Dáil and the local authorities with regard to what the Minister says in the Dáil and what he says to city and county managers, assistant managers and everybody else he meets on a regular basis.

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