Joanna Tuffy (Labour)

I am not sure if my party was opposed to this provision when it was originally mooted. However, I know from talking to people in my party that it is an idea which gained persuasiveness once introduced. The former Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey, introduced this new provision to achieve a power balance between the manager and the mayor, given that the mayor would have a certain moral authority in having a mandate from the people. I see a great deal of merit in that. Local government reform and shifting power away from managers is a complicated issue. This would be one way of beginning to shift that power.

We all know the current situation is unsatisfactory. It is hard for mayors as opposed to management of councils to establish themselves. They need time to find their feet. Many people feel their year in office is driven by council management. Much of the work done by current mayors is good. I do not have a problem with the current system but this is a good suggestion which is worth trying.

This system was only recently introduced by the former Minister for the Environment and Local Government and we are taking it away before we have seen how it works, the main reason being that the Government is afraid of who will be elected to the positions. That is the reality. I can understand those fears but it brings us back to treating the electorate as mature adults and allowing them to take the consequences of their actions. We should go ahead with this proposal.

There is a great deal of merit in Senator Bannon's amendment. I am not so sure I would have named the local authorities but the idea of trying it on a pilot basis is good. I am not sure if it could have been done by way of regulation. The Minister should rethink his decision to abolish this.

The parliamentary system has been referred to. Local government is different because there are no Ministers at that level. Mayors do not have the same powers as the Taoiseach in terms of local government. The UK and other countries operate a parliamentary system for electing the Prime Minister and they have directly elected mayors. Many good things have been done by directly elected mayors. If we really wanted to shake up local government, that was one way to try it. It was quite a cautious move because we were not giving him or her enormous powers.

This proposal was introduced by a Fianna Fáil Minister. Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats were in power with the Independents the last time they put forward this idea. The Government has changed its mind but they cannot knock this. With all the reservations I have as a county councillor about who might be elected, I think it is a good initiative which is worth trying.