Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is one example. With respect to Dublin Port, I noted that there were councillors and Ministers who had had issues in the past with development there. I have seen other Ministers, Deputies, Senators and county councillors from all parties oppose critical infrastructural projects I clarify that it was right and proper for them to make representations. There was nothing underhand about it. clearly, they have a mandate and represent their communities and have at right to make representations. I do not want to think they are the same people in another office closing off public engagement and consultation. The Minister of State, for whom I have a great deal of respect, knows better than most about some of the many difficult planning issues he has had to confront, as well as the dilemma in deciding what is good for the country and the economy and what is good to retain one's political seat. I am not signalling him out in that respect, but that is the reality of the political world in which we operate. We have to have a proper balance.

We have to empower city and county councillors. I have noticed in the year and a half I have been a Member of this House that there is a great reluctance in central government to devolve powers to local communities. Local government forms a large part of the remit of the Minister of State's Department and I know that the Minister of State, Deputy John Paul Phelan, has plans for it. Are we truly going to empower local communities to make local decisions? That is an important aspect. I note that the Minister of State spoke about the payment of a reduced fee, instead of the current €20 fee, by elected members. He will recall - his officials certainly will - that in this Seanad I have referred to the role of elected members. There was a directive from the European Union about it. The situation in this country is outrageous. Democratically elected representatives in local authorities, the Dáil and the Seanad, for that matter, have to pay to represent their communities. I have no difficulty with that, but I stipulate that it must be open and transparent. Representations have to be included in public files which everyone must be entitled to see. That is very important. It is an issue I want to have addressed and I will pursue it with the Minister of State next week. I want absolute clarity on the role of elected members in his and every other party. They need to have that right.

I welcome the Bill introduced by the Minister of State. I am very supportive of this aspect of it. It is a very positive move. The Minister of State spoke about education, training and research functions and mentioned that the office would conduct training, etc. for everyone. However, there was no mention of training for city and county councillors which I want to see happen. It is set out in section 31 on pages 9 to 11, inclusive, of the Bill. I would be glad if the Minister clarified the matter. If councillors want to be taken seriously, as they do, and to exercise their reserved functions, not the manager's, we need to empower them to do so. The only way we will be able to do that is by giving them the skill set and training they need to assist them and also the power and knowledge that they can challenge the executive.

In terms of Rebuilding Ireland - I appreciate that I have ten minutes in which to contribute-----