Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

How does one follow that? I compliment Deputy Collins for bringing the Bill before the House. The Minister is a pioneer in his position. He is a reforming Minister who has vision which some of his predecessors lacked and a commitment to follow through.

I would prefer if other Members listened rather than ranted and were objective in their approach to politics. That is why the Bill is important, because it is about local government which of its nature is about the provision of local services and serving local people. I fully agree with the Minister that we cannot micro-manage. He is correct; we cannot. We must allow local government autonomy, independence and power within its own structures and areas of administration to be able to govern and administer. However, therein lies the problem. Under the previous regime, for 14 years the growth of a tier of bureaucracy in local government was exponential and unbelievable. Posts were created to do certain things. Posts of director of services were created and areas of responsibility amalgamated, but one must ask what happened subsequently. Do we have greater accountability today in local government in the provision and delivery of services? In many cases we do not. Saying this might not make me very popular. The Minister is correct; we have too many local authorities. We need not just to amalgamate but to reduce, reform and give them more power. If that means reducing the number of elected members and reducing the levels of pay for a certain coterie at the top level of the public service, so be it. We have immensely talented individuals within the administrative area of Cork City Council and Cork County Council who serve the people. They are innovative, have vision and are committed. I agree with aspects of the Bill. We must address the issue of representations by public representatives and customer service in terms of queries about house maintenance, the enhancement of the public realm and requests for traffic calming measures. Deputy Collins referred to written submissions. It is important that the issue is examined. However, the Minister is correct in his overarching view that the system cannot be micro-managed.

Deputy Mattie McGrath, in his eloquent address, spoke about reform and his opposition to certain matters. We have had a more in-depth analysis of local government than perhaps of the Seanad, yet the Government proposes to abolish the Seanad. I would hate to think we would abolish local government, but I know we are not going to do this. In its report of July 2010 the local government efficiency review group referred to the quality of customer service. My firm view is that local authorities must be given power to raise revenue to deliver services. That must happen if local government is to survive and be effective. That would mean in many ways giving power back to local councillors. As a member of a local authority I was never afraid to take responsibility or decisions. Many of my colleagues on the Fine Gael side of the House were exactly the same. The former Senator Denis Cregan made the point to me one day in Cork City Hall at a budget meeting that we were there to serve the people. He said it was about taking decisions and getting it right for the people. He was right. That is what it is about for public representatives.

Members opposite cannot just come to the House and posture for the sake of getting headlines in the newspapers and on local radio. They must be prepared to give and take responsibility. One cannot go around the country fulminating against everything. What one requires is a bit of bottle and the courage of one's convictions.

I would like to see a review of the customer service charter of many local authorities to see how they are ticking the boxes and whether they are fulfilling the terms of the charter and adhering to what is enshrined in it. In these times of recession the importance of local government is greater than ever.

I am concerned at the reference by Deputy Collins to the Ombudsman in the Bill. The Office of the Ombudsman is inundated with requests from all strata of society about various services. I am concerned that local government issues might further clog up the system such as whether Deputy Buttimer's request to have a pothole filled in or a representation on a housing issue for Mrs. Murphy has been addressed.

Undoubtedly, as the Minister grows in his role, he will be more reforming, which is to be welcomed. He has a plan and vision centred on the delivery of a quality customer-oriented service by local authorities. In meetings with the city and county managers in Cork it is important to acknowledge that there is great planning. One example is the Cork docklands project where an innovative group of businesspeople have come together. They recognise that we are in a different economic climate than we were when the project first started, but they are continuing with it. The city manager has recognised its importance and wants to see it progressed and delivered in a tangible way, which is important. I am confident it will not be forgotten by the Minister and hope the Government will further its aims. Such a project can bring heart, soul and spirit back to the city of Cork. A quarter is waiting to be developed that needs to have life restored to it. Equally, with the development of Parc Uí Chaoimh in that quadrant, it provides an opportunity to create a new vibrancy in the city.

I welcome the decision by An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for a new convention centre in Cork on the old Beamish and Crawford site. The Leas Cheann-Comhairle is someone who is interested in music, the arts and culture. The centre will be a fantastic venue in Cork city. It will attract a new type of tourist and urban footfall to a city which has so often seen people arrive at the airport and travel onwards to west Cork and County Kerry. That is where local government has a role to play. The former city manager, Mr. Joe Gavin, had the vision to develop a convention centre. It has taken a little longer than we wished, but I hope we will see the project come to fruition on an historic site in the city which I invite Members opposite to visit. There are fabulous restaurants in that part of the city, as well as great night entertainment. It is vibrant and safe, with a great community and commercial aspect to it which is centred on people. That is why local government is very important; it is about people.

I start to get worried when I hear references to customer service. I accept we are all customers, but it is about people and the condition of the public realm in one estate or townland, the condition of a road or the enhancement we make to the public realm within the city landscape. One of my regrets as a member of Cork City Council was that I was not vociferous enough on the issue of retail outlets, of which we have an over-supply in the country. One can see what is happening. One of the things we can learn from the Celtic tiger era and the recession is that planners must use cop-on.

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