Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Craughwell spoke about the employment status of councillors and mentioned a specific case. There is no doubt that the employment status of councillors needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Councillors are told that they are paid an allowance, rather than a salary, and that they have to pay tax, PRSI and USC on that allowance. Senator Paul Coghlan mentioned that the Local Authority Members Association and the Association of Irish Local Government will meet the Minister in early course to address a number of items of concern to them. It is right that the representative bodies would meet and make their cases. I assure the representative associations that the vast majority of people in this House support them in their efforts to get proper employment status conditions for councillors. Such conditions are not currently available to them.

Senator Sheahan spoke about ambulance services and called for a debate on the National Ambulance Service with the Minister for Health. I will try to facilitate that.