Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 49:

In page 98, line 8, to delete “persons who are members” and substitute “3 members”.

This amendment pertains to regional authorities and I note that under the Putting People First guidelines, the Minister has set out that two members of each local authority will represent that local authority on the regional authority. At present, there are six representatives on such bodies from smaller counties. For example, County Laois has six representatives on the Midland Regional Authority. In this amendment, I am arguing for half that number and the reason I propose three members is my concern that under the grouping system, with which all Members are familiar as all have been obliged to make use of it over the years, putting forward two delegates from the local authority to the regional body has the potential to exclude the third group on the council forever and a day. The Minister suggested to me that one could rely on generosity of spirit but unless one were to hold the council's annual general meeting on Christmas Eve each year, one is unlikely to get that.

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