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

More generally, the case for the replacement of the out-of-date town authority regime with a new model of municipal governance under the Local Government Reform Act 2014 was and remains very strong. Local government has been strengthened within counties and inefficient administration and duplication between town and county authorities, regarding matters such as budgeting, planning, rating and charges, have been dealt with. The fundamental democratic deficit that existed in the old system where certain citizens got two votes and others got one has been removed. There is now full integration of local authority resources across each county and an elimination of duplication both in administrative and electoral terms.

Citizens who live in large and growing population centres and rural areas, who previously lacked any sub-county representative governance, now have municipal districts representing and responding to their local needs and I am satisfied with the operation of those arrangements.

See this speech in context