Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. Along with our spokesperson on housing and planning, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, our local government spokesperson, Deputy Shane Cassells, and my Seanad colleagues, I will ask to meet the Minister and the author of the report to put forward our case. As outlined, it is about terms and conditions, but the reform element is important because if we continue to take powers away from local authority members, the number of people who put themselves forward will diminish and this will affect local government.

It goes back to the original point that the terms and conditions are simply not adequate. The Minister of State pointed out that he was examining proposals other than those relating to terms and conditions to assist councillors in their duties and we look forward to hearing them. However, I believe they need to be more generous and they must not looking at historical problems but at the future problems of getting people to run for local government.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing this debate. I know of his huge interest in it, having served on a local authority. It is important that we continue to raise this issue. I note the answer refers to the end of May. I assume the Minister of State will have 48 hours and, hopefully, a report should be published somewhere.It is not about expenditure but about local government and assisting local authority members in performing their duties in the next five years and for decades to come.