Seanad debates

Wednesday, 19 December 2018

Local Government Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages

 

10:30 am

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

I have come to know Leitrim in recent years and I will spend Friday and most of the next two weeks in the county. While it is geographically large and takes one hour to drive from one end to the other, it is extremely small in population terms. However, I believe 18 councillors is too few for such a large geographical area. Wexford is also a huge county and when I was standing for election in Kilkenny, there were 26 councillors in the county and only 21 in County Wexford. That is 21 councillors to cover 150,000 people. One would have to get a half of a Dáil quota to win a council seat in Wexford under the old system. The county was very under-represented but now has 34 councillors. While an effort was made to find a better balance in population terms, geography was not given sufficient weight in the calculations.

We never agree on town councils. I believe that the future of town governance lies in strengthening municipal districts, as we are doing. People living in Bennekerry, an expanding village near Carlow town, did not have a vote in elections to the town council but had a vote for the Carlow town county council area. Getting rid of the two ballot papers and the two chambers that were doing the same work was the right thing to do. Should we have more responsibility at municipal government level to take the decisions that the town councils used to do? Should they get the block grant from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to maintain roads, footpaths and lighting?Discussions have been going on a long time with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to give back the devolved grant to the municipal districts. We really want to do that but it is not our call.

Senator Colm Burke spoke about housing stock. With the change in numbers of housing stock from the county to the city, the funding will follow. All the stuff about funding in the Bill emphasises the need for funding to follow the population. That is crucial in the area of social housing. There is a perception that politicians, including in my own party, are opposed to social housing but some of the most desirable places to live in Kilkenny city are social houses. The cut stone houses opposite the Garda station are now very expensive but they were originally built by what was Kilkenny Corporation. Senator Colm Burke mentioned Blackpool but the only thing I can guarantee is that the funding will go with the housing stock that is being transferred to the city council in order to keep it in good order. It is a matter for the city council as to how it administers the funding and it is for the council to ensure the antisocial stuff is rooted out and people can live in peace, whether they live in social or private housing.

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