Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with my colleague, Senator Bradford, that taking 744 town council seats out of the democratic institutions of 80 town councils was the wrong move. It was but a tinkering around the edges in terms of the weak local government structure we have in Ireland. According to the European Commission, Ireland has one of the weakest forms of local government anywhere in the European Union. There are many shortcomings in our local government system in terms of the lack of fiscal and oversight powers of our local authorities versus the Executive. I commend the Leader for facilitating debate this evening of the all-party motion on the local government sector. While I welcome that debate I agree with Senator Bradford that there is a need for the political system to re-evaluate the decision in regard to the abolition of town councils. Many Governments, irrespective of political colour, come to office with many grand ideas in relation to reform but very often they do not materialise. There was a golden opportunity on this occasion to bring about many reforms, given the straitjacket of the troika.While some of those reforms have been introduced and some good work has been done, unfortunately other reforms, such as public sector reform, political reform within the Houses of the Oireachtas and budgetary oversight, were not touched. There is a failing in the political system generally regarding the role of Members of Parliament whether in the Dáil or Seanad vis-à-visthe powers afforded to local authorities. There is a debate there which I am sure this Seanad-----