Caít Keane (Fine Gael)

I join other Senators who have raised the issue of children in care. I have every confidence in the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, who has been very proactive in the first Department dealing with children's affairs. She has a background in social care and working with children so this is in good hands and we look forward to seeing the issues dealt with. Hopefully, this will never happen again.

I want to raise the issue of participatory budgeting. Will the Leader ask the two Ministers involved, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, to introduce, as a pilot project initially, a programme of participatory budgeting? This is where the citizens themselves decide at local level what are their priorities for the funding of their areas, including local authority areas. Having started off in Brazil, this has now mushroomed in many countries in Europe and is now used in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and other countries. It would not be in every municipality in those countries but in many. I would like to see it start as a pilot project in one or two areas. In light of the fact local government will be raising money through property tax and water tax, it will bring transparency for the people and a right to have a decision as to where their money is spent.

At present, too much of decision making is at executive level in local authorities. I would like to see this introduced as part of the reform of local government which the Minister, Deputy Hogan, is bringing forward. Included in that reform, I ask that we would look at participatory budgeting. Fine Gael has raised this before and I hope it can be implemented, particularly given the fact local government will be raising money. It would bring transparency and prioritise what local people want.