David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

If the Minister is really interested in democracy he should hold plebiscites on these issues.

The Minister has shown an appalling lack of understanding of community development. He has done a disservice to all the volunteers who have done great and valuable work in the community and voluntary sectors. Unfortunately, they have been proven right. They had a fear that this would happen.

They feared power would be taken away from those who work in the community and the volunteers and put it into local government, where it is controlled by the Government and unelected officials. That is not the way community development should happen. It is a bottom up approach. This is just Fine Gael ideology.