David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will get to what the Minister is trying to do. Many people have a fundamentally different view from that of the Minister on how things should be fixed. Perhaps Senator Healy Eames should listen for a change. The first thing we need to do is establish the principles that should underpin local government and guide us as we consider how we can reform local government. I suggest that local government should be underpinned by the principles of accountability, transparency, relevancy, democracy and subsidiarity. Crucially, local government is about the provision of services. We need to make sure services are delivered to citizens as closely as possible to them. We must secure the best value and provide the best quality when we are organising the delivery of services.

Senator Keane made a factual statement when she said previous Governments tinkered around the edges when they tried to reform local government. I have to agree with that. However, the Senator cannot say with any clear conscience that the Minister's proposals constitute any more than tinkering around the edges. That is exactly what is happening. I do not believe any real or substantial changes are proposed. I agree with Senator Landy that this is all about subtraction. It is really about reducing numbers. The numbers of councils, councillors and Deputies are all being reduced. The abolition of the Seanad is to be proposed. That is the core of the Minister's reform agenda. He does not intend to give power to local government or to local councillors. Up to now, he has certainly not spelled out how he will do that.

I make no apologies for saying that the Minister has made an absolute mess of the funding of local government. People will end up paying separate charges for school transport, school books, waste collection, water and the property tax. There is no joined-up thinking in the introduction of all these separate charges.