Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Senator Coghlan will certainly remind people. I would appreciate if the Leader could organise for the Minister of State, Deputy John Paul Phelan, to come to the House to discuss local government, and in particular greater devolved powers and subsidiarity to local government, to empower it as it represents local communities and local citizens to make decisions in local communities.

Last year we had a very interesting engagement with the previous Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, on the work, conditions of employment, remuneration and support of local councillors. There is no maternity leave or sick leave for local councillors. Would one believe that? The area is crying out for reform and it is an issue on which we should have a discussion. We hear much debate about remuneration. I wish to put on the record here again that county councillors in this country receive €16,500 before tax for what is a seven-day per week job.I do not want to rehash all this now but I ask the Leader to organise for the new Minister of State with responsibility for local government and reform to come in here and engage with us, which I know he will, and I have high hopes for him, so that we can discuss this with him and come up with some real, practical suggestions for local government reform and mechanisms for greater support of councillors across the 31 local councils.