Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Gerard P. Craughwell's comments on the need to have a proper debate on councillors' remuneration, their role in public life and representational role in Irish democracy. For people to pay PRSI contributions and have no entitlement to sick pay, any other form of social welfare payment or a pension in later years is wrong. The position must be clarified. We should have the Minister here in the autumn to discuss this very important issue. I would go further and say an opportunity was missed during the crisis of the past three to four years to reform the way we do politics in this country. There is a need to move national politicians away from local issues and give councillors more autonomy, proper resources and secretarial backup in order to carry out their duties on the ground. We should allow national politicians to deal with national issues and scrutinise our legislation properly, and have the proper political oversight that so many who are now in government spoke about when things went belly-up as a result of the building boom. I believe we missed an opportunity and we are depriving councillors of the real and substantive role they should have.

I ask that we have a debate in advance of the budget. We might even come back a week early and have a number of debates on spending and income in each Government Department. We should be able to come up with some novel ideas on where we can generate additional income for the State, given what we are looking to spend. Whether we are contemplating a levy on the profits of the banks or the multinationals, or dealing with the issue of generic medicines within the Department of Health, which is costing millions of euro, we should have a debate on some of those issues ahead of the budget. I ask the Leader that, if we cannot come back a week early, we at least sit additional days in September and get the respective Ministers into this House well ahead of any budget decisions by the Minister for Finance. I hope that will be facilitated. If the Leader would indicate today that he was amenable to this, at least Members who want to contribute could do some preparatory work over the summer recess.

I wish the staff and all Members a lovely summer. I hope we get the sunshine. I wish them all a nice break, as I am sure it will be a busy autumn when we come back.