Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. This insult to councillors, which is the only way I can describe it, has gone on long enough. There is never a wrong time to do the right thing. I feel strongly about this. I call on the Minister of State to see that the Government stops playing with councillors. We are getting drip feeds in the newspapers every couple of months about expenses and we hear the words, "If I was in power" and "What I would do if I was in charge" said but the time for those games is gone. Half of the councillors rely on this as their sole wage. It is below the minimum wage.I implore the Minister of State to draw a line in the sand on this and improve their pay and conditions. I am delighted to be able to support my fellow Senators. We have been working hard on this with the AILG and LAMA, no more than the Leas-Chathaoirleach, and we would really appreciate the Minister of State grabbing this nettle. We want to see some dividends.