Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Listed No. 51 under section C of the Government's legislative programme is the local government (office of the Dublin mayor and regional authority of Dublin) Bill. This is promised legislation, for which the heads of the Bill has not yet been approved by Government. Yet the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is telling us that an election for this office will be held in June. Such an office does not exist at this point, yet we have been told by the Minister that an election will happen on an undefined date, as of now, but a date in June.

I remind the Taoiseach that the position is that a vacant seat exists in this House. This seat has been vacant for the past seven months plus, but the Government has yet to indicate its intention to call a by-election in Donegal South-West. While the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government enthusiastically rants on about an election in June for a position that does not exist-----

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