Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

There have been many recurring themes over the past year, including health, housing and education. I will not spend any time on them today, but they are all linked and are very important. That they keep recurring as Commencement matters and items raised on the Order of Business means we clearly need to focus more on them in the next term.

I wish to keep my comments to Article 28A of the Constitution, which I will quote because it is relevant: "The State recognises the role of local government in providing a forum for the democratic representation of local communities, in exercising and performing at local level powers and functions conferred by law and in promoting by its initiatives the interests of such communities." I appeal to all my colleagues, both party and non-party, that we work together across all parties very early after we come back for the next session of the Seanad to focus on local government. I know the Leader indicated that the Minister of State, Deputy John Paul Phelan, will come to the House once he has his letter of credentials from the Minister for his devolved functions, and he has a special function regarding local government and electoral reform, but this is very important. We should spend more time focusing on the practitioners of local government, namely, the county councillors throughout this country of whom we all know because many of us have travelled that journey and have been there. We need to address issues of real local government reform and local finance. We need to address how local government can be sustained, how greater devolved powers can be handed to local authorities and local councillors, how we can recognise the professionalism of these men and women, who make great sacrifices and work seven days a week for our communities, how they are recognised in their communities and how they receive their remuneration and appropriate expenses. We can do something about this, and the secret is that we work together on it and prioritise it as a very important aspect of our programme in the next term.

I also ask that the Minister come to the House to address the issues arising from the local boundary changes and share with us his plans in respect of those changes.

I wish to return to what is perhaps one of the most important issues, namely, direct provision. We heard at great length yesterday about issues with direct provision, the plight of people who are suffering and the number of children who are suffering. The report published yesterday found that young children and their parents are living in fear in their homes.These are young children whose parents are living in fear. That has to be a great challenge to us. In many years we will look back on this era and hold our heads in shame. We will ask what we, as politicians, did. Will we be looking back on another Magdalen laundry situation? It is a very important issue. We need to come together and work across all parties and all spectrums to address the serious plight of people who are suffering.

I thank the Cathaoirleach and his team for their support and how the Seanad has been conducted this year. I thank Martin Groves and Bridget Doody and the team in the Seanad office who have given us unstinting support in our work. I also acknowledge the Leader, Senator Buttimer, Orla Murray and the rest of his staff. We could not do this work without all the background people who assist us and lead us through the process. I thank them all.