Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)

If the existing boards fall it will not be Opposition's fault it will be the Government's fault because it has failed to bring forward the necessary legislation during the past three years.

I agree the current structures need improvement. While the regional boards, with which I have worked through the years, left a lot to be desired at times, in general they were representative in so far as one had access and someone from a coastal or rural community would know somebody on the board whom he or she could contact and who would take issues on board and raise them at meetings. As Deputy McManus stated, we will have to see what are the proposals and see how representative and democratic it will be. I have a feeling this will be extremely centralised and one will not have the same accessibility as one has through the regional boards.

I also agree with the points raised by Deputy McManus regarding the legal legitimacy of postponing these elections. It would be extremely helpful if the Minister of State would share the legal advice he received so we can form our own opinion on it.

I, on behalf of my party, will not support this motion for the reasons outlined. I hope the Minister of State takes them on board. It is an awful indictment on the Government that we are back here for the third time and we still do not have an election.

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