Local government needs many far-reaching reforms, but the reform of local government goes much further than the abolition of the dual mandate. Abolishing the dual mandate will remove a certain number of Oireachtas Members from those councils along with all their wisdom, knowledge and the conduit between national and local government. I enthusiastically support the abolition of the mandate. It is a consequential of an overall package of real reform of local government, but if this Bill is passed into law, those members who remain on the councils will have their role further denigrated. That is a very bad decision.