Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Barrett comes from a local authority background as do I. During the past year I have been following the work of both the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy John Curran, and the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cúiv. Throughout the country there is an increasing level of integration of these initiatives which are a spin off of local authorities - there is no doubt about that. They are being brought closer to the centre of local authorities. There is an issue or debate concerning the powers which local authorities ought to be given and I believe many of these issues will form part of the debate on the Green Paper which has been issued by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, and I have no doubt they will be developed further in the White Paper on the future of local government. We look forward to a debate, whether it is under this area of questions or wherever, and it would be worthwhile to have this debate nationally.

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