Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have spoken before in the House about the importance of equipping councillors with more reserved powers. I was here on Second Stage when the issue was discussed. I welcome the fact that Senator Fitzpatrick has tabled this amendment. I also welcome the fact that the Government is sufficiently open minded to accept it. A simple majority is the norm so that is reflective of good practice to say the least.

When it comes to development plans it should start and finish with the county councillors. It should be a reserved function in all senses. Local government will evolve and will need to be reformed. That will always be the case. I would like to see more reserved functions given to county councillors because they are the people who get the mandate every five years. There was a time in the 1990s when reserved functions were taken from councillors and there were reasons for that, but we have seen a modernisation of councillors, whose calibre is like no other in terms of the scope of their experience and the professional manner in which they do their work. That has been met by the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, in terms of the recent announcement regarding terms and conditions, which brings local government in this country into a modern sphere. Part of the evolving modern sphere is to have more reserved functions.

I will not be speaking again on this but while I am on my feet, I have said previously that county councillors should have access to both independent legal advice and independent planning advice. In the deliberations on a development plan, if a councillor or one or more groups of councillors within a local authority feel they need to retain outside expertise, totally independent of the executive of the council, there needs to be a facility where that can happen. Likewise, if various groups within a council want to get separate independent advice to advise them then a mechanism to provide that must be considered also. As I see it, that is all part of the modernisation and positive evolution of local government in this country.