Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that. I was not referring to the Senator per se. It is important that, collectively, we work to ensure there is success in terms of the pay and conditions of councillors who are doing a huge amount of work in changed circumstances. We recognise that there needs to be an increase in their pay. That is not a matter of us trying to appease our electorate, rather it is based on the fact that we must recognise that the work of a councillor has changed over time. It has now become a more full-time role. We must keep people interested and involved in local government and not lose a body of knowledge and experience that could be lost at any time.