John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will respond briefly to all of the queries. I have spoken to the officials. The Committee Stage debate on the Local Government Bill 2018 is due to commence at 6 p.m. tomorrow. At 5 p.m. tomorrow, my officials will meet Deputies to discuss some of the issues of concern that have been raised and I will do so as well if I can. An email outlining the details of that meeting will be sent earlier in the day. Many of the issues that have been raised tonight with regard to certain provisions, especially those relating to Galway and Cork, are more suited to the Committee Stage debate. Certain sections of the Local Government Reform Act 2014 set out the legislative proposals for the holding of plebiscites. The provisions of the Local Government Bill 2018 are essentially a reflection of that. My experience over the years I have spent in both Houses has been that local government Bills generally tend to have many parts to them. Everybody was fully aware on Second Stage that there would be substantive amendments on the urban area committees and on the plebiscites. We flagged our intention to introduce such amendments. The Government has yet to make a decision on the functions of directly elected mayors. What we are talking about this evening, and will be talking about tomorrow, is the mechanism for allowing the plebiscite to be held. I am open to the idea that after the memorandum has been discussed and - I hope - approved by the Government, the House should have a full discussion on people's views. I happen to agree with much of what has been said, particularly by Deputy Eamon Ryan, because it is in line with how I envisage the position. No decision has been made by the Government. Therefore, we cannot discuss the specific role. However, we can discuss how we see the plebiscite taking place.

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