Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----and that is to disempower local councillors. Why do we have local government? It is vital to the functioning of this country. Why do we have people elect local councillors? Local councillors understand local wants and needs. Why should the people bother to elect councillors to their local government if the national Government then passes laws which undermine their councillors' place in our democracy?

A key reserve function of local councillors is outlined in section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001. Land owned by the local authority cannot be disposed of but with the consent of its elected council members, who are elected by the local people and taxpayers who own land. Now, under section 58 of the Land Development Agency Bill, the Government wants to waive section 183 of the 2001 Act and remove the key function of local councillors. It wants to disempower councillors and locals as to the determination of the land.

I stand with the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, which is just as abhorred by the idea of this as I am. Primacy of county and city councils' development must be protected. Local elected members are best placed to decide the future use and deployment of local land. They have the most knowledge of local circumstances and are democratically appointed. The Land Development Agency is none of these. Section 58 disempowers councillors and thus disempowers locals as to the determination of the lands. I strongly oppose this section.

I spoke this morning about grassroots politics and I cannot believe-----