Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

I respect the comments made by my friend and colleague, Senator Harte. We are not questioning the role of county councillors. This is about giving a voice to the 95,000 people who are living in Gaeltacht areas and not taking their democratic right from them. This is about people like Moya MacNiallas in Gweedore and others who, in the 1970s, fought to ensure democracy was extended to the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta. They fought, and they succeeded. Going back on that now we are removing a democratic institution. What is to say that county councils will not be changed? We are fighting for our existence in this House because the people do not have a direct say on the way we are elected. I do not necessarily agree with the way we are elected but that is the way it is done. The process should be extended. In terms of the way we are elected, every citizen in the State should have a vote.

We have been debating this issue for the past 40 minutes. In terms of the argument that the justification for this was to save money, in the past 40 minutes one Department, the Department of Social Protection, has spent almost €50 million. We are removing democracy under this Bill. Regardless of whether the elections are held next week or next month, we are attacking democracy to save €400,000 while on the other hand a huge amount of money is being spent by just one Department. The reality is that it is a drop in the ocean to the Exchequer. Why deprive a people of a vote just because of a few measly euro? The argument will extend itself into future elections for town councils, county councils, city councils and for mayoral elections. We will not have elections. We will go back to the way it used to be. We do not agree with that, which is why we will be pressing this amendment if there is no give on it.