Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----in my opinion local government is about the principle of subsidiarity. It revolves around delivering and administering services and ensuring that there is oversight in respect of them at the lowest level at which their delivery is effective. Another issue arises in the context of the transfer of executive powers and reserved functions to councils. I do not concur with the point the Minister made to the effect that councils are only there to make policy decisions and that they have no role in the delivery of services at local level.