Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The amendment I tabled related to the European charter for local self-government and went quite some distance further.

Having said that, I welcome the fact that the amendment has been tabled. It is going to be down to the culture within the local authority as to what consultation means as in some cases it has become a very discredited word, where people are told what will be done rather than having a dynamic of consultation in the real sense of the word, which implies a two-way process. I will watch the issue and although I would have liked to have gone further, I acknowledge the inclusion of the matter.

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