Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Is rud maith é go bhfuil an Bille seo os ár gcomhair agus tiocfaidh mé ar ais go dtí an méid atá sa Bhille níos déanaí.

When we discuss local government and its powers, we must sometimes consider why it does not have the powers that we wish it to have. Since the foundation of the State, there has been a continuous emasculation of local government's power. Consider the 1920s, a period to which I often refer. When the State was founded, it encountered major problems with a number of councils. They had strong powers at the time, some of which were inherited from the British Administration, which seemed to have more respect for local authorities in some ways than the new State did. Since then, there has been a diminution of their powers.

Last year, I read about the man who was meant to be the first Sinn Féin mayor of Dublin, Mr. Tom Kelly. He was recovering from a stint in jail in England and was unable to take up the position to which he had been nominated and elected. A chapter in the book told of a move by the State against the then Dublin Corporation during Mr. Kelly's time in local government due to an argument between the councillors and the officials. The State was not too happy with their independence or how they reflected it.

Since then, there has been a continued erosion of local government's powers. Far too often, central government has been willing to centralise those powers. For example, it vested in itself or some quango or other the power to raise funds locally. I was young at the time, but one of the major shifts in local government came in 1977 when Fianna Fáil promised to remove rates. Local authorities have been dependent on central government ever since. This is so despite the imposition of property tax on households, given that property tax is not redistributed to them in full. This is especially the case in Dublin.

The period in question also saw a creeping privatisation of local authorities' services. Directly delivered services were removed from them because Governments, in particular recent ones, danced to the tune of the European Commission or the champions of supposed small government. This saw local governments being reduced. Under the previous Government, some town councils disappeared altogether. These moves by Government have been to the detriment of local authorities and everyone in Ireland.

The co-ordination of planning seemed to disappear because powers were removed from councillors and handed to unelected officials who were previously called city or council managers but to whom some genius has now thought to give a new title with a view to running local government like a business. I am sorry, but officials are supposed to be running a council, not a business. It is not all for profit, but some officials seem to believe that a council can be run for profit, or at least in a company-like way. It is a public service, so there is a difference in attitude.

I agree with the proposal. It is a good one, and we should try to ensure proper co-ordination of services in this city and county. Four councils working at odds with one another has been to our detriment. There should be joined-up thinking. For example, there are proposals to give responsibility for Dublin tourism to a directly elected mayor. In transport, taxis were deregulated. They used to be under the remit of the councils. Dublin city and county represent one quarter of the State's population. That is huge, yet there is no proper co-ordination because the four councils sometimes find that difficult. If some services or powers were centralised in a mayor who was directly elected and, hence, directly accountable to the electorate for the delivery of those services, it would be good. Such a figurehead could co-ordinate or help to co-ordinate the four authorities on other issues over which he or she did not have power. The mayor could pull people together in order to strategise with a view towards the city's future population growth, planning, locating industry, the green belt and the environment. We should be considering these issues.

Ní siombail amháin atá uainn sa mhéara seo. Táimid ag iarraidh go mbeadh cumhacht ag an méara agus an buiséad chun na pleananna atá muide ag caint faoi a chur chun cinn. Nílimid ag iarraidh go dtiocfadh an buiséad sin ó na comhairlí áitiúla atá ann faoi láthair ach go dtiocfadh sé ón ciste lárnach agus ón Rialtas agus go mbeidh cumhachtaí an athuair ag an gcathair chun airgead a thuilleamh. Níl an cumhacht sin go hiomlán ann faoi láthair. Caithfimid cur leis na cumhachtaí atá ag na húdaráis áitiúla. B'fhéidir gur d'fhéadfaimis é sin a dhéanamh trí méara tofa má tá cumhachtaí ann maidir le pleanáil réigiúnda, postanna agus an timpeallacht. Ar dtús báire, áfach, bheadh an méara ag díriú ar chúrsaí iompair agus eacnamaíochta, an turasóireacht, cúrsaí dramhaíola sa chathair agus mar sin de.

Is cuí é go bhfuilimid ag déanamh cinnte go mbeidh an reachtaíocht curtha chun cinn agus gur féidir linn tuilleadh plé - agus plé cuibheasach domhain - a dhéanamh air agus go bhfuilimid á bhogadh ar aghaidh seachas á chur ar athló mar atá molta ag an Rialtas.

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