Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister to the House. I compliment Senator Cox on the candour and honesty of her comments on better local government. Without being political, she has given an honest view of what is happening on the ground.

In my own short experience of three years in local government, there have been considerable changes through the Better Local Government initiative and work carried out on various plans. I was involved in the county development plan in County Donegal and the waste management plan. We had our ups and downs, including tensions between the elected councillors and the executive. With regard to the provisions of this Bill, I believe that giving additional executive powers to managers will ultimately erode local democracy and result in a decrease in confidence on the part of the general public. Civic duties and responsibilities will also be undermined.

It is the function of local authorities to maintain a strong and effective working relationship between the executive and local authority members. This Bill places all the ongoing work of the last three years in jeopardy. A fundamental principle of better local government is to give citizens more rights and greater confidence in local authority members. It also involves giving people an influence in policy at a local level through the SPCs.

When we were involved in the waste management plan in Donegal, we were faced with many obstacles and problems. In sorting out tensions between the executive function and the role of elected members, we had to negotiate and reach accommodation on various matters. Ultimately, we endorsed a waste management plan after due negotiation and deliberation. That was accepted by the public on the basis of a decision by the councillors rather than a reserved function of the county manager.