Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

I am very pleased to have an opportunity to speak on the Government's, or Green Party's, proposal to have a mayor of Dublin. Not being from Dublin, I am asked why I am so interested in this matter. I am so interested because, over recent months, I have listened to the debate with interest as an outsider. In a time of terrible economic crisis, the Government is wasting time and proposing to waste money on setting up an institution that represents another layer of bureaucracy and which will cost us a fortune. Shame on the Government and anybody else who is proposing this at this time.

I have no issue with Dublin people having a singular voice. I have no issue with an area having its own mayor but the proposal before us is to add a layer of bureaucracy that will cost a considerable amount. This is at a time when local authorities need to be reformed. As with many other Members, I am a former member of a local authority.

Only last year we had local elections that required us to listen to what the people had to say about local government. In recent weeks and months, employees in local authorities have become frightened about their futures. They do not know where their future lies. There is a real crisis in local government and at local level in every county. Very committed people are working in local authorities are not sure of their futures. Newly-elected councillors are frustrated over their input into decision-making. It is unfair that the voices of those who have devoted a lot of their time voluntarily to public service at local level for very little remuneration are not being heard. Last year, the people voted in their masses to elect new councillors to local authorities. They made their voice heard but their will cannot be acted upon because of the structures in local authorities.

A very simple measure that would not cost anything is a proposal, to be put before this House and put into law, that would have a great influence on the way in which local authorities do their business. It involves making the chairman of each local authority part of the management structure. It is a disgrace that the chairman of a local authority cannot be part of the management team that meets weekly. These teams comprise a county manager and the heads of each section. No other board or organisation of which I know precludes the chairman from engaging in administrative duties. It would not cost one shilling to address this and it would bring democracy back to local authorities. If the Green Party were serious about giving a voice to the people who voted last June, the local authority chairmen, or mayors, would be part of the management structure.

In this cash-strapped society, I appeal to the Green Party to cop itself on and listen to what its grassroots members and most Fianna Fáil members around Leinster House think of its proposal. The latter believe they must vote for it because it is in the programme for Government but they actually believe it is ridiculous. I ask people to be more honest. At a time when we need every single shilling to be kept within the structures rather than wasting money, we are implementing a proposal that will involve great wastage and not help democracy in any way.

There are many changes required in local authorities and many challenges to be met.

There is a major opportunity for people to have an input into their local authorities and there are many ways in which we can change how business is done.

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