James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 4:

In page 3, to delete lines 33 and 34 and in page 4, to delete lines 1 and 2 and substitute the following:

"(2) Members of both Houses of the Oireachtas shall be provided with all documentation that a councillor is entitled to."

Oireachtas Members should automatically receive any local committee or subcommittee reports which directly affect their county where it is important for them to know what is happening. They must be kept up to date if they are to hold effective clinics. Similarly, all reports should be drafted in the knowledge that Oireachtas Members are subject to time constraints. They should, therefore, be concise and include summaries. They should also clearly outline the policy of the local authority. While we do not wish to interfere, we should be in a position to understand the policies and deliberations of local authorities. Reports and minutes received by authorities should be indexed by subject matter, service committee, electoral area and so on. These are important provisions. I ask the Minister to accept the amendments.