Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I have so much to cover. We may need to reform the Dáil again.

The committee system must be able to hold the Government to account. Committees cannot be the arm of a Minister of a Department but until such a time as we change the mindset in that area we will not have change.

The most important recommendation in the report concerned the concept of corruption in office. The report refers to the charge introduced in legislation in 2001, and the need to increase that charge. That is something I hope the Minister for Justice and Equality will move on very quickly.

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has come into the Chamber. There is a long list of recommendations about planning. There is mention of regional planning guidelines and that elected members have very little input into them. Many of the elected members of local authorities are not accountable to the people who elect them either. I look forward to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government radically reforming local government. He should abolish town councils, reduce the number of county councils and regionalise them, and have them elected and accountable.

I do not agree with the concept of the planning regulator. Who will be the planning regulator? Will it be the James Gogartys or the George Redmonds? I do not believe that all politicians are corrupt and that they cannot be put in these offices.

The report refers to establishing an independent appointments board. One of the boards I get the most complaints about is An Bord Pleanála which sometimes does a good job but sometimes does not. If we believe that an independent body or individual has a monopoly on righteousness or wisdom, we are wrong. Irrespective of what body we set up or who we appoint-----

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