Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have the opportunity to once again address the very important matter of local democracy. I spoke to a very similar Bill in 2017 introduced by the Deputy across from me, and, needless to say, my position has certainly not changed. The decision in 2014 to abolish our town and borough councils was a sad day for Ireland. It left a deep democratic deficit that has not, and will not, be filled unless this policy is reversed and these councils restored.

We can speak today about the destruction of rural Ireland and the breaking of the social contract between citizens and the State but the extent of power and decision making removed from urban communities at the time was fundamentally wrong. In my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, we lost eight town councils. County Cavan lost councils in Cavan town, Belturbet and Cootehill, and County Monaghan lost Monaghan town, Clones, Castleblayney, Carrickmacross and Ballybay. There were 72 elected members from all parties and none on these councils. They were entrusted by their local communities to make the right local decisions to make their town the best place in which to live, visit, grow up, work and invest.

This form of local government worked. It was a short-sighted and ill-thought out decision to remove this tier of local democracy and administration. Of course, at the time we did not have as much revenue to spend on public services but this has changed. Now that it has changed, we must reconsider how best to reflect ordinary people's opinions in the democratic decision-making process. It has been my consistent position, and that of Sinn Féin, that the best means of doing this would be through the restoration of town councils.

At a meeting of the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government last May, the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy John Paul Phelan, who is present, addressed the committee on the matter of local government reform. He quoted a published report on municipal governance relating to districts, towns and local electoral areas, which "sets out a range of proposals to strengthen the current municipal district system within local authorities and to address identified shortcomings rather than re-establish town councils". He also indicated that stronger powers would be preferred for municipal district members, which would involve strengthening the role and capacity of elected members at municipal district level, particularly in budgetary and local development matters, with financial capacity being of particular importance. These proposals are welcome, as they indicate consideration is at least being given to restoring some powers to municipal areas but I still do not see any impediment whatever to restoring town councils. The boundary changes announced over the summer period complement their restoration. Local people and representatives make the best decisions for their local areas. Fighting for investment, facilities and resources as part of municipal areas and their budgets simply will not deliver the same results.

As others have said, the Labour Party has done an about-turn on the disastrous and short-sighted decision it made in government. It is now attempting to rectify the disaster by introducing this Bill today. I, for one, welcome this. Ultimately, Fine Gael must do the same and admit a mistake was made. I have made my own so it is not the worst thing to stand up and be man or woman enough to acknowledge it. The Government should return power to the people and restore town and borough councils at the earliest opportunity. I support this Bill and I welcome it wholeheartedly. I commend it to the House.

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