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

I will not refer to each person who raised the issue of the role of councillors and the bigger picture. It is absolutely correct.

It has always been the way that, when it comes to the day of local and European elections, councillors and their foot soldiers do the campaigning. They have also campaigned for the European elections. Other votes will be held on the day of the elections in May.

I reiterate unambiguously that we are not proposing the removal of any of the existing reserved functions of councillors. Ms Moorhead is conducting another piece of work about extra remuneration and additional functions for local authority members and I do not want to pre-empt the outcome of that. I am conscious of the point made by Senator Humphreys that we have to start the ball rolling somewhere. If we were to wait for every piece to fall into place, nothing would move in the area of directly elected mayors for quite some time. People in Cork city, Waterford city and county and Limerick city and county are being asked whether they want to have a directly elected mayor. Government will make its decision in the coming weeks as to the exact parameters of the role and in respect of issues around costs, remuneration for the people elected and the staffing supports which Senators raised in their contributions.

Senator Murnane O'Connor spoke about the Dublin issue. I would have liked for Dublin to be in the first round, but there is a significant complicating factor in Dublin in that there are four local authorities. It is interesting that, in both this House and the other House, the people who have raised the issue of why Dublin is not included have not suggested a single idea as to how a directly elected mayor would fit in with the four existing local authorities in the capital. That is a difficult chestnut to crack, but the Dublin assembly will be tasked with doing so. The assembly will include the voices of elected representatives, both local and national.

I am glad Senator Boyhan has circulated my statement. He is nothing if not meticulous in his circulation of material among members of our local authorities.