Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday's edition of The Irish Times had a good cartoon by Martyn Turner relating to the recent UN panel publication on climate change. It showed the report as a massive tome and then an executive summary with one word, "Panic". That is appropriate and anyone who has read these reports - we have had a number of them - will realise this is the most serious one yet. It forecasts serious repercussions for us as human beings not to mention all the other animal life on the planet and the future of humanity. When is the promised climate change Bill being introduced in order that we can have a proper debate on this serious matter?

On an entirely different subject, when the local elections are held in May, they will bring to an end the careers of many hundreds of serving town councillors. Many are to retire and will not run for election to county councils because there were not enough places for them on the various party panels. Some are not excited by the prospect of a new type of local government system as it represents such a change from what they have been used to under the town councils, bearing in mind the focus on urban areas. There is still much confusion about the entitlements of retiring town councillors in terms of an ex gratiaor a redundancy payment. It is not yet clear to the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland, the representative group, whether the payments will be entirely tax free. It appears that they will be capped at €16,000. A friend of mine who serves on Tralee Town Council has been a town councillor for 40 years since 1974. In his case a gratuity of €16,000 amounts to €400 per year which is paltry and mean-spirited, given the work town councillors have done. Through the Leader, I ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, to review the schedule of payments and be more appreciative of the work town councillors have done for us over a long period. The local government legislation sets up the local community development councils, LCDCs, which will be fairly powerful and comprise local community groups, including business people, teachers, farmers, etc. I am amazed that the Minister has not made provision, in deciding on the composition of the councils, for some representation by retired town councillors who have a wealth of experience and knowledge of public service and matters relating to their specific areas. This experience would be greatly missed. I ask the Minister to review the composition of the councils to include retiring town councillors.