David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to return to a point made by the Minister of State in respect of the previous section. Amendment No. 17, which relates to section 14, has been ruled out of order. I accept the point the Minister of State made with regard to Senator Landy's contribution and the question I asked about consultation with local councillors. There is a difference between consultation and having control over decision making, a matter to which I referred earlier. It is good that there will be consultation with local councillors. The fundamental issue relates to the democratic imperative in respect of the role and responsibilities of local government and control over decision making. In this instance that control is being taken away from democratically elected councillors and given to Irish Water. We are discussing a vitally important public utility, namely, water, and I am of the view that what is being done is a retrograde step. While I welcome the Minister of State's clarification in respect of consultation, etc., my point did not relate to that. It was a more fundamental point in respect of decision making and the powers local councillors should have in that regard.