Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

I support the Bill and commend Deputy Cassells for bringing it forward. There is no doubt that the abolition of borough and town councils in 2014 by the then Minister, Phil Hogan, and the Labour Party was a black day for democracy. Eighty borough and town councils were abolished in that year. In my own county of Tipperary, seven councils were abolished at the stroke of a pen with the support of the Labour Party, namely, those of Clonmel, Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, Tipperary Town, Thurles, Templemore and Nenagh. These councils should be re-established and other towns in the county such as Roscrea, Cahir and Fethard should also have their own town councils.

In the case of Clonmel, the abolition of its council struck out 400 years of mayors and democratic governance of the town. I served on Clonmel Corporation and Clonmel Borough Council for 17 years and was very proud to be Mayor of the town. I know the need for various structures to ensure that the issues that arise in a town such as Clonmel are dealt with properly, locally and as close to service users as possible. To use Clonmel as a very brief example of the type of town that had its councils and mayors struck out, it was first mentioned in the Annals of Ulster in 916. It was established as a free borough in 1608 by royal charter granted by King James I. In 1650, the people of the town, led by its Mayor, Mayor White, and Hugh Dubh O'Neill and his Ulstermen, defeated Oliver Cromwell. It has had great mayors such as Charles Bianconi, an immigrant from Italy who established a public transport service not just in Tipperary but throughout the country from 1815 on and served as Mayor in 1845 and 1846. The foundation of the Labour Party took place in Clonmel Town Hall in 1912 and it is ironic that the Labour Party put its name to the abolition of Clonmel Borough Council in 2014.

There is no doubt that local democracy is absolutely necessary in this country and that we need the re-establishment of town and borough councils. We must ensure that services are provided for and as close as possible to local people. I absolutely support the proposal for a commission to review the establishment of councils and to determine boundaries, propose functions, and deal with the rating powers, composition and size of new councils. I hope that commission can be established, produce a report and that the resulting implementation of the re-establishment of town and borough councils would be in place for the 2019 local elections.

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