Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Second Stage of the Local Government (Restoration of Town Councils) Bill was passed last month with broad cross-party support. Obviously the Bill is time sensitive as the local elections are due in May 2019. It has been referred to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government, but for very obvious reasons that committee is focused very largely on housing and the local government issues take a secondary role there. I have written to the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan in this regard. Would the Tánaiste be amenable to suggesting to his colleagues that we might have a bespoke small committee to deal with what is a very short and simple Bill in order that it might be enacted in time for the local elections?

See this speech in context