Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

Does the Minister agree with the Tánaiste — I do not always agree with the Tánaiste — that local authorities are a collection of elected councillors under the diktat of a county manager who is responsible to nobody? Does the Minister agree this has led to the current situation with the regulations on planning and road safety? County managers are not answerable to anybody and the Minister does not appear to have power over them.

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