Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Over 25 years of union membership and, in particular, in the five years I spent on the national executive of the Teachers' Union of Ireland and two years as its president I learned one thing. If a representative body is undermined by promises which have not been kept, it is placed at risk by its own members. Yesterday a colleague of ours, Senator Aidan Davitt, referred to local authority members and the moneys that had been promised to them. I received a number of calls last night to say we should spare people the talk as they were no longer interested. There is a principle at stake, something by which we, having been elected by the people concerned, should be standing. I have attended two conferences this year, at which I heard the members of local authorities being promised that certain payments would be made by Halloween. That did not happen. Two years ago I called for a debate in this House on this issue. Why are we afraid to discuss it in public? Why should we be afraid of representing those who elect us? Why should we be afraid to refer to the paltry money they are being offered? Many of them work much harder than any of us in meeting members of their local communities. We are offering what we would give a Minister of State as an allowance. Many of the people concerned are unemployed. I do not want to make it a political issue, but the time has come to have an open and honest discussion on it in this House with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.Let us talk about terms and conditions. Let us talk about maternity entitlements and entitlements to printers and computers. Let us be honest and straight with them. The Leader may think I am making this a political issue but I received calls last night from people who were extremely angry. I am sure that every Member received such calls and we need to bring the messages contained within them to the Minister on the floor of the House. We should not hide behind anything. Many people in this room, the Minister included, have worked hard behind the scenes but we are no longer convincing those who elect us so we have to discuss it.