Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This Adjournment matter relates to the document Putting People First and the proposed legislation on local government reform which I understand will be before this House shortly, after its passage through Dáil Éireann. I refer to the workings of town councils throughout the country. The Government's proposals, covered in the Putting People First policy document, are to abolish all 75 town councils and the five borough councils. From meeting local town councillors and attending public meetings in places such as Letterkenny in County Donegal, I know this to be a retrograde step that would remove the layer of democracy closest to the people.

I offer the example of the cost of running a town council such as that in Letterkenny, which has nine elected members and a number of staff. The town council has a budget of between €8 million and €9 million per annum. The cost of running the council is €80,000. If that does not reflect value for money I am not sure what does. The town has a population of approximately 20,000. The council is deeply engaged with the Tidy Towns committee, is involved with 90 resident associations and is deeply rooted in all the sporting and voluntary organisations within the town council area.

Moreover, it offers money back to the county council from the rates collected within the town.

The argument that these proposals will save substantial moneys does not make any sense whatsoever. As such, I am calling for a period of reflection. I appreciate that the legislation might already have been drafted, but I hope the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, will at least prove himself willing to accept amendments whereby some of the town councils in a position to prove their effectiveness and success would be retained. To clarify, I am not arguing that all town councils should be retained. However, having carried out my own survey of the 75 town councils and five borough councils throughout the country, I discovered that only 29 covered a population of 5,000 or fewer. In other words, 51 of these fora are catering for a population of more than 5,000. Why not set a population threshold whereby councils at or above that level and which can show they are economically viable and effective and have benefited the local community would be retained? To use the example of Letterkenny, with a budget approaching €10 million, the net cost to the taxpayer is €80,000 in the form of salaries for council members. The argument that savings will arise from laying off town council staff does not stand up because these staff will be redeployed in the local government sector.

Now is the time for the Government to reflect on its local government reform plan. The people indicated in the referendum last week that they did not favour the abolition of the institutions of our democracy. Town councils are the democratic fora which are closest to the people. Given the outcome of the referendum, the Government should at least consider retaining some, if not all, of the effective, efficient and successful town councils throughout the country. I am not sure whether the Minister of State will be able to give me the response I am looking for. I ask, however, that she and her senior Minister take on board last week's vote and reflect on the points I have raised, with a view to accepting the amendments my party intends to table when the legislation comes before the Oireachtas.