Seanad debates

Tuesday, 1 October 2019

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

2:30 pm

Photo of Victor BoyhanVictor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I refer to the issue of Dún Laoghaire Harbour which was mentioned extensively in the national press today, particularly in The Irish Times. We had quite a hot debate with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, who has overall responsibility for harbours and ports, about this issue on 3 October 2018. I recently printed and read the record of that debate. Many times in the past few years, in both this House and the Dáil, the Minister stated the harbour would not be a major liability on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the local government administrative area in which Dún Laoghaire is located. However, a special meeting was convened last night to discuss the liabilities with which Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council finds itself as a result of the Government's ports policy. As this issue will impact on a number of other ports around the country, there are lessons to be learned. I ask that we invite the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to come to the House because the issue now relates to local government, rather than ports. Last night the chief executive of the council and elected members of all parties and none voiced their concerns. They have confirmed that the council now has a debt of €33 million hanging around its neck, as well as additional running costs of around €800,000, a sum which has not been budgeted for. This will have an impact on the local authority, local property tax payers, a significant number of whom are constituents of the Minister, Deputy Ross, and commercial rate payers. The money has to be found and the debt paid. I would like to have a discussion on the huge impact the Government's ports policy will have on local authorities. It is important that we hear about the implications of the policy and hold a debate in the House at an appropriate time.

I endorse what Senator Mark Daly said about the Moorhead report. It is interesting in that Ms Sara Moorhead, SC, is the subject of a motion before the House today.It is the subject of a motion we will debate in the House today. Those who have gone to the trouble of reading it will see that her name is on it. I would like her report to be published because I am tired of hearing people say they have not seen the report or that the Government has not seen it. I understand the report is complete. It can be timely for someone to say, "Don't send the report to my Department so I can go out and tell everyone I have not seen it." We do not need two years to pull together a report about councillors' remuneration and expenses. It is high time Members of both Houses of the Oireachtas united and made a strong case for fair pay and conditions for elected members in local government.

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