Jimmy Harte (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the debate on local government reform. Senator Terry Leyden has left the Chamber but I thank him for sending eight councillors from County Roscommon to County Donegal. The number of councillors in County Donegal has increased by eight while Roscommon has lost eight. That reflects the distribution of population, with County Donegal experiencing growth and County Roscommon suffering a decline.

Reform of local government is well overdue. I served on Letterkenny Town Council and Donegal County Council for many years. I appreciate the hard work that town councils carry out but this will not diminished by new district councils. I hope an area such as Letterkenny will benefit from increased representation but, more important, that councils will have more powers and autonomy. I hope the local authority will collect and decide on the spending of the household charge or property tax. We have one of the most centralised systems of administration in the western world. The new proposals can bring only more devolved powers to local authorities. I fully agree that reform is necessary. The town councils have been targeted for abolition but their work will not be diminished. Local councillors do a fantastic job but in the long term it is necessary to give power to the people. That is the intent of the proposals.

I thank Senator Leyden, who is not present, to say that we knew everything ahead of everybody else