Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 4:

In page 9, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following:

“(d) the Mayor or Cathaoirleach of the local authority concerned.”.

This is a matter on which Members had a brief discussion on Committee Stage and pertains to the register of membership of the Civil Defence in each local authority jurisdiction. The information kept on the register is basic information relating to the member such as name, address, date of birth and so on. The Bill also provides that the county manager or his or her nominee or the Minister or his or her nominee may have access to that register. In a situation in which the Civil Defence plan and the force is at least part-funded by the local authority through the Estimates process, which must be voted through by the elected members, it would be appropriate that at least the cathaoirleach or mayor of the local authority concerned would have the opportunity to inspect that register in the rare event that it should be necessary.

This is a simple and very straightforward amendment that also goes to a point of principle, in that the elected members at local authority level should not be prevented from having all the information that might be required from time to time to allow them to fulfil their remit. Legislation of any form that effectively excludes local elected representatives is not good legislation. I acknowledge the Minister of State is committed to local government reform and to empowering local government. Consequently, he should not then bring forward legislation that excludes members of local authorities from full participation. A case can be made clearly that from time to time, members of the local authority may have information that could be of use to the local authority and to the Civil Defence. It would be useful, were they in a position, via their cathaoirleach or mayor, to check the register and to verify the information contained therein is in accordance with the facts as they know them.

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