Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is working because we have a good working relationship and I acknowledge that. I will actively engage in Cork, Limerick and Waterford on the hustings for the mayoral elections. I have already indicated that I will speak in three venues. I will play an active role. I note that previous to this being approved, the Minister of State's party launched its campaign and I wish it well with its side of the argument. In case there is any misunderstanding, I absolutely support the concept of a mayor but this is a bit of an ad hocarrangement. To date, the councils have not spoken to say if the local authority will deliver on paying for it. They cannot pay councillors. They are still waiting for the Moorhead report on the €16,500. Many, including members of the Minister of State's party in Waterford and Limerick, have told me that they will oppose this. I spoke to two or three members of Fine Gael in the Dáil who say they are strongly opposed to it. One is in Waterford. Everyone has a right to take a different standard. I am concerned about the capacity to pay the councillors for their job. They are rightly angry and disappointed and they will use this as an opportunity to put pressure on the Minister of State and the Government to deliver on their pay and conditions.

A local property tax report has been sitting on the desk of the Minister for Finance for quite some time and it has been deferred again. We need an honest and frank discussion about how we will fund local government and we have not had it. It is being deferred for political reasons. The Minister of State has not made a strong enough case yet about how he will fund local government and pay elected members. There is some suggestion of what he might pay these mayors. He and Fine Gael opposed empowering councillors and waiving a fee of €20 for planning applications, so much so that he could not even produce tellers for a division here and we won it hands down. I was personally overwhelmed by the support from councillors in Fine Gael and others who said that they could not rely on their own people to support councillors. Not only did we pass it, we had to put pressure in a number of quarters to have that legislation signed through.

The Minister of State has no strong argument or policy for how he will fund local government. That is the reality. He has sat on a report about local property tax and done nothing about it. The Minister of State has not, as of today, delivered on the long-promised Moorhead report to give councillors fair pay and fair remuneration. His party took a stand to launch a campaign in advance of this motion being approved in this House. The Minister of State should do what he has to do. He and Senator Buttimer have jobs to do. I understand Senator Buttimer might be the director of elections, from the media reports.