Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Craughwell made a point about broadband and expenses incurred. I am going to look at the LRA allowance specifically on that. I gave a commitment on that particular issue.

Senator Fitzpatrick made reference to the executive and a directly elected mayor. In the Limerick situation, I have gone back to what the people voted for. Fundamentally, we are democrats and, fundamentally, I have been true to what they voted for. The one thing I have done in the Bill, which came out of the IAG review group in Limerick, is to provide for a speaker and deputy speaker. I have tried to ensure this will have no impact whatsoever on the reserved powers of the councillors as they are. The directly elected mayor must bring enhancement. Powers will go to the mayor but some of them are delegated to the CEO. That is on the basis of what was put to the public.

I have dealt with the JPC. I have covered most of what Senator Cummins raised.

On the gratuity, I will give the thinking behind it. I gave a commitment when I came into office, and I am here a relatively short time, that I would deal with the maternity leave, which we have dealt with to allow females to go on maternity leave, and with the security allowance. I maintained the existing scheme and allowed councillors that choice. We did a forensic body of work on the gratuity. The gratuity is now linked to the current salary. Whatever salary a councillor is on at the time of retirement is the salary on which the calculation is based. It is based on three 20ths rather than the four 20ths under the representational allowance. That is what I brought forward and that is what the Minister for public expenditure agreed to.

Going back to Senator Moynihan's point on Civil Service or public service pensions, it is a non-contributory scheme. Councillors' salaries are linked to grade 4. Every time there are increases in public sector pay agreements, they get that increase as well.

On the matter of June, a councillor can go in under the existing scheme any time they wish but the view was taken that if we were giving an enhanced payment, it should be based on serving out the term they were elected for in terms of their democratic mandate from the people. In essence, the increase has been in the order of more than €8,000. That is the maximum increase that is available to a councillor from the gratuity scheme. The logic was based around the fact they can get under the existing scheme.

Senator Ward raised the municipal districts. I will look at that. Senator Boyhan-----