Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)

It was acceptable to have an internal audit to assess whether there was a problem in the first place, of which one would imagine it would be most important to have an outside person take charge. However, now when it comes to implementing the reforms, the Minister of State is bringing in outside consultants. In the interest of moving on and ensuring that no question is left over decisions taken in any of these local authorities, an independent investigation should be held.

I wish to emphasise how this relates to the wider issue of real reform. We need to reform our system to ensure the way we do business is open and gives the best type of government for the public. The Minister's actions so far on political reform have seen him row back on the number of Deputies he plans to cut for the next Dáil. That was not really reform because it was simply tinkering at the edges. There has not been anything significant in that regard. We have also seen no movement on Seanad reform. Again, simply putting forward a motion to abolish that body is a very simplistic way of trying to show action, but it does not make any change to the way our political system operates.

I commend Deputy Collins on this motion and ask the Minister to do the right thing and conduct independent investigations.

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