Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Is that agreed? Agreed. I have four speakers left on this side and call Senator Maura Hopkins who is sharing time with Senator Tim Lombard.I too want to emphasise the very positive work being done by councillors. I also want to emphasise the positive work that has been done by the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, in the past number of months.

I speak to councillors on a daily basis. I completely understand the value of the work they are doing, whether dealing with flooding, safety, meeting individuals in regard to housing and many other areas, along with the obligations of attending council and committee meetings. We know, and the Minister has stated, that the role of a councillor has changed in the past number of years. Councillors have been given increased responsibility under the Local Government Reform Act 2014, particularly with regard to local economic and community development. The number of councillors has been reduced. Many councillors have been faced with larger electoral areas, some have to represent an area of more than 100 km from end to end. In the cities they are representing ever-growing populations. I am fully aware that the Minister has engaged with LAMA and the AILG and I compliment them on the hard work they have done and are doing in working constructively with the Minister in requesting proper financial recognition for the true costs of being a councillor in terms of the workload and the legitimate expenses incurred.

Different areas have different demands, whether that be geographical challenges in rural areas or an ever-increasing population in urban areas. I too join other Senators in asking the Minister to consider reviewing the proposed allowance of €1,000 and extending it to all councillors.

Having been one of the youngest councillors on Roscommon County Council for two years, we need to ensure that we encourage young, capable and able candidates to put their names forward for election. The Minister stated correctly that we are reaching a point where councillors cannot afford financially to stand for local government. We need to ensure that councillors are treated fairly and with respect and that the terms and conditions reflect the work they do.