Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tá an-áthas orm tacaíocht a thabhairt don rún seo chun go mbeadh na comhairlí bailte tabhartha ar ais mórthimpeall na tíre. Botún a bhí ann nuair a chuir an Rialtas deireanach deireadh leo agus cé nach bhfuilimid ag lorg go dtabhairfí iad ar ais mar a bhíodh siad, tá deis ann anois rudaí a bhrú chun cinn agus rud nua a chur ina n-áit.

I welcome this opportunity to support the motion because the loss of their town councils was strongly felt in many towns. More than five years ago, more than a dozen town councils and 100 town councillors in my county were dismissed. Those town councils had provided a voice in their areas. They provided a leadership role and a platform not just for local issues but for how national issues impacted the local community. Macroom residents, for example, would have reasonably expected to be able to walk down the street any day and meet a number of councillors if they wished to raise an issue with them. They also have expected to be able to go into the town council office to discuss a housing application but this is not available to them under the current system.

The town councils were able to advance housing with a local emphasis. I will focus on one example where people in Macroom lost out as a result of the previous Government's abolition of town councils. Macroom Town Council was ready to start construction of seven houses in Masseytown. The town council was dismissed and at county level there was a different focus on bigger schemes. Time was lost having to retender and we have ended up with the houses being under construction only now, five years after the town council could have progressed them. It means people in Macroom have missed out on the opportunity of having those houses over recent years. I have no doubt that if Macroom Town Council had continued in existence families would be facing into their third or possibly fourth Christmas in those houses but they are not yet finished and it does not look like they will be finished this side of Christmas. It was a mistake to end the town councils and the Minister of State needs to look at a way to bring back an upgraded variation of them.

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