Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I refer to an issue which has arisen with increasing frequency in the past four or five weeks. I have spoken to people who are considering running in the local elections, many of whom have asked me about the powers of local authorities. There is a general lack of knowledge of the real powers these authorities and the councillors who serve on them possess. It would be appropriate for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, to come before the House to discuss how we might impart information to the public on the role of councillors, their responsibilities and the contribution they can make at local level. There is a need to get across a message in this regard because there has been a great deal of negative coverage on the part of the media for the past ten to 15 years of the role of councillors. As a result, those who are good leaders in their local communities are reluctant to go forward for election. This is resulting in a loss for our system of democracy and also for local communities. The House should engage in a debate on how to disseminate information on the exact role of councillors.

There is another issue with which we must deal, namely, commercial rates. There is a lack of knowledge of the amount of money being collected from the business sector through rates. People who are not involved in business appear to have a lack of knowledge of the contribution the sector is making towards funding local authorities. Information on this matter must also be made available to the public. We should engage in debates on both of these issues between now and the local elections.