Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)

I regret there is so little time available for this Stage and for Second Stage. It is very difficult to debate the detail of the Bill when we have not been given a clear and coherent view of the how local government will be reformed and this includes institutional reform. I refer to the amalgamation plans which are proposed. Is it intended that these amalgamations are a pilot project?

I take a different view to Deputy Stanley on the county structure of local government. Our counties were formed between the 12th and 17th centuries and were devised by the crown administration. It is interesting to note that local government in Northern Ireland does not function on a county basis. It is possible to administer local government without using the county as the administrative unit. I suggest that the parish and community is the natural unit in Ireland because that is how people relate to each other and it the real strength of local life. I would have preferred to see this unit used in the reform of local government structures. The notion of the parish pump is an excellent idea because this is how people came together to help each other out if there was a fire, for example. However, the trend in Irish politics is to look up the ladder rather than down the ladder.

Planning expertise is better located in one central location rather than spread over two counties, for example. Cities are a unique case and in Europe, the city tends to be a driver of a surrounding region which can be quite extensive. In my view the amalgamation of Limerick city and county is perhaps too small a unit as we need to have big regions with small district councils within them. We should consider what system works in this country and the reason we have been so disappointed by politics is that our institutional arrangements do not reflect the strong and successful part of the Irish society which is the level below the county level. Are these amalgamation provisions to be a blueprint? Is it a money-saving device to save on procurement costs? What is the rationale for choosing these two counties? What is the long-term policy for local government reform?

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