Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Would it be possible for the Leader to receive an update from the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, on the local government legislation? There has been some disquieting reporting on difficulties in this regard at Cabinet level. This was referred to yesterday by Senator Denis Landy. One article indicated that the Minister had tried to get the Bill through the Cabinet without having it sit at all, by way of a ring-around job. This shows a rather cavalier attitude to the Bill. There were disquieting reports that the Bill might not be fit for purpose. Has the Attorney General examined it? There are people gearing up for elections all over the country next June and it is quite possible that town council elections may go ahead again.

Now that the Seanad is back in business and while I am talking about councillors, the Minister should examine the remuneration of county councillors, especially if the new format is to be put in place. We face huge county council constituencies that will be much larger than those that have been in place heretofore. Senator Paul Coghlan will be aware that there is one in our county, Kerry, involving three peninsulas - the Dingle and Iveragh peninsulas and down as far as Kenmare. There is to be a much larger electorate and a much greater burden of work to be done by our councillors. It is time that the schedule of payments and allowances for county councillors was revamped in line with their new responsibilities. They must attend community and school meetings all over their constituencies. We must get real if we want to have the service that county councillors have traditionally given us. We will have to have a compensation package commensurate with their new responsibilities.