Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on his election for another term. I wish him well. I also want to take this opportunity to wish the Leader well and thank him for his work and his vast experience in here. More importantly, I want to welcome everyone to the House. It is a unique place and we are unique people. We are individuals who bring our life experiences to the House. Be we on the university panels, Taoiseach nominees or on the vocational panels, we all have a legitimate and valid seat and a place in the Chamber. We need to start off with that. We need to respect one another and support one another. We need to respect that there is reasonable opposition that is not antagonistic to the Government and, vice versa, the Government clearly has a prerogative to outline its policies. This is an important relationship that we need to understand. It is always respectful but it is political.

I want to turn to the next issue, which is local government. This is something I have championed, as have many here. The majority of us have been elected by city and county councillors. The Cathaoirleach, many Members of the House and I were on the Seanad Public Consultation Committee. This was a unique committee of this House, and not the Lower House, where we discussed local democracy, local government and the issue regarding more power for local government. We have the most centralised structures for local government and we need to devolve more powers to local government.

Throughout the election campaign, many of us were challenged and asked what we were going to do about local government, what we would do for city and county councillors, how we would empower them and how we would support them in their work. It is not all about remuneration or pensions. It is about policy and how we can dovetail them more into the relevant discussions that take place in these Houses. I ask the Leader to organise a meeting to discuss and debate the report of the committee the House established, a document which has 25 recommendations. We have never discussed or debated it. Given that we do not have a lot of policy or legislation coming down the track, I ask that the document be circulated to every Member of the House and that we have a timely discussion on local government and local democracy and how we can give more power to our city and local councillors. It is very important that we do so. This is my initial ask in the House. Let us enjoy it, respect one another and move forward.