Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Seanad amendment No. 68 is designed to augment the provisions in the original Bill to augment the role of the associations of local authorities such as the Association of City and County Councils, ACCC, and the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland, AMAI, and, hopefully, an amalgamated association after the local elections will give them a greater role in providing a perspective of the elected members in setting policy at national level. I look forward to working with a single amalgamated association of local authorities dealing with policy matters being developed in discussion between the ACCC and the AMAI, and I understand that good progress has been made.

In that respect, I send my best wishes to the outgoing president of the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland, Councillor Callaghan, from County Kildare, who was very serious. I hope that he will find himself in a position to resume duties at the earliest possible opportunity.

I welcome the constructive discussions that have been taking place between the representative organisations and I wish to see a successful outcome and a new association at the time of the formation of the new structures.

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