John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It has been my intention for the past number of months to have this group established before the end of May. That is still the intention and I hope to finalise the terms of reference for the group this week. They have to be signed off by the Departments of Expenditure and Reform and Housing, Planning and Local Government. We can get that sorted this week and it is then a question of personnel, and that is being worked on currently. It is absolutely the intention to remove political decision making from the remuneration of councillors in the future and to establish, once and for all, a link between a public sector grade and the work of county and city councillors across the country. This will ensure that any benefits accruing to grades in the Civil Service will also accrue to councillors. That includes things such as pensions, health provision and other changes. This is particularly timely as we will have the review of the local electoral areas across the country published by the middle of next month. This group will produce its report before Hallowe'en and people throughout the country will have seven or eight months in advance of the next local elections to decide on whether to stand again or whether they wish to become new candidates in council elections.