John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In the course of last night's debate, Members were referring to "community", which is part and policy of local government, what it stands for and the need to be all-inclusive in that regard. One need only take the message from the GAA on all-Ireland day and witness the type of community spirit that exists in that organisation and how it flourishes. One should note it is represented from Croke Park right down to every single parish in the country, which is true democracy and a true reflection of the input of people into an organisation. This is the type of volunteerism and enthusiasm one should try to harness in the context of local government.

Instead, however, with this Bill the Government is moving in the opposite direction. It is moving away from community and is closing the county enterprise boards. In addition, it is closing a number of councils and is removing people's direct access to their public representatives. Moreover, both Government parties, Fine Gael and the Labour Party, have closed the different voices that were beginning to emerge and have banished them to the backbenches, where they have very little time to contribute to debates. That is the Government's view of democracy.

The Government tried to close down the Seanad in the referendum, which was another attempt to remove a structure within our democracy and to grab power for central Government. This Bill does nothing but move power to central Government. That is all it does. In the course of the Seanad campaign the Government argued that member states across Europe had only one house of parliament and that there was no need for our Seanad. However, the Government failed to tell the people that in all other countries that it cited, particularly France, they have a democratic process and structure that takes the power right down into local communities where real decisions are made. Comparing the position of county councils now and that of how they will be, the one problem they all have is funding and they have a structure that makes them connected with their community but the Government is taking all of that away. It is reducing the number of politicians and on one side it is reducing the cost, but how better off will democracy and local communities be? I do not believe they will be better of. This Bill does nothing to reflect what is happening across Europe, what people are demanding in terms of their politicians and the representations that are required by them locally.

The issue that is being debated up and down the country is that of pylons. The Minister, Deputy Hogan, said the pylons will go ahead. That was said in the last few days in the middle of a process-----

See this speech in context