Michael McCarthy (Labour)

Like my colleague, Senator Alex White, I would like to raise the issue of local government. As we all will be aware, a number of people were elected first citizens of their respective cities and towns last night. It is a very important point in the careers of those involved and it is a huge honour to become first citizen of one's area. We congratulate all those who have been elevated to the position of mayor. However, that raises a very important point, namely, the statement by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, that he will reform local government and create the position of directly elected mayors. Some town councils, including one in my area, have budgets of less than €40,000. They have absolutely no executive functions and are not rated as councils, so the position of mayor is symbolic.

I call for a real and honest debate about local government. The Minister, Deputy Gormley, should come into the House and spell out exactly what he intends to do regarding the directly elected mayorship of Dublin and if he intends to give the mayor real powers. We need to model it on the system in place in London, where Ken Livingstone was mayor of a local authority which had executive powers. Can we bring the Minister, Deputy Gormley, in to discuss this matter?

We also need commitments from him that we will not suffer the drastic cutbacks throughout the country we are currently witnessing in, for example, Cork, where as a result of starving local government of funds recycling centres are being scaled down in areas such as Kinsale and charges are being introduced in neighbouring towns such as Bandon, where people will be forced to pay excessive amounts to access a service that, until recent times, was free of charge. Recycling initiatives are a fundamental part of local government and it is a mockery that a Green Party Minister would starve local government to the point where people are being charged for recycling goods.