Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I am sure everyone in the House will thank the Minister of State for his decision. I thank him personally because, as he mentioned, I had a long conversation with him last night on the issue. At the time he was aware it posed a certain difficulty in that the Bill must now be returned to the Dáil. It is a measure of his responsiveness to reasonable suggestions that he was prepared to accept that inconvenience in order to amend the measure. There will be a consequential amendment to another section. Section 40(4) deals with someone becoming a member of a local authority, but I hope the Minister of State will bring forward an amendment on Report Stage to section 44. I thank him on behalf of the many people involved in local government, hundreds of whom give of their time more or less on a voluntary basis and often at great cost to themselves and their families. They will regard this as a recognition of their position and the work they do. I applaud the Minister of State for taking that aspect fully on board.