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

I wish to support the Bill and reflect on the decision made by the then Minister, Phil Hogan, which stunned everyone in Kilkenny because he had come from local government. He had been a member of the county council and was aware of the importance of Kilkenny Corporation. That was not just a decision for the Minister at that time, rather it was a path that had been well laid out by others before him and by the bureaucrats within the Department who were attempting to reduce the number of public representatives and the number of councils.

It was also a strike against history. Kilkenny city is steeped in its history. It has a city statute. The legislation was later changed to describe Kilkenny as a city for ceremonial purposes only. That took from people the pride that they had in their history and in their local corporation. It took away a voice on their behalf which dealt directly with their problems. Alongside that, the corporation's replacement halved the city and put extensive parts of rural Kilkenny in with each of those halves. It is now an area which is impossible to administer, which has very little in terms of budget.

It is now time to restore Kilkenny Corporation or Kilkenny Borough Council in whatever guise is necessary, provided that the power goes with it. County councils and their powers have been diluted considerably and the county manager or the CEO is now all-powerful. I suggest that what is needed is a tilt in the balance in favour of the public representatives, who represent the people who elected them, and to take power away from unelected officials. The time has come for this and I believe the public have an appetite for this type of change.

It is no good to change it without giving power with the change - the power to raise money, to strike a rate and to change the direction of a city or a municipal area. Above all they must have the power to elect their mayor. There must be a proper place within that democratic structure for the mayor of a city or council. That is hugely important. What was done in the past simply muddied the waters around who had the power and who spoke to the power. It was just taken away without any consideration. France was mentioned as an example. In France, the power goes with the position.

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