Victor Boyhan (Independent)

The Minister of State is very welcome. I will not reiterate what others said about his experience as a councillor. Local government remains underutilised, under-resourced and underfinanced. I hope the task force will recommend the devolution of more powers, supports and functions to councils and their elected representatives. I thank the members of the Seanad Public Consultation Committee, including the Cathaoirleach, who worked on this. The committee gave a lot of time to come up with its report. We did not give it enough debate and examine it in enough detail, considering the amount of work that went into it, but we are doing so now. I welcome that a task force will be established.

I thank the Oireachtas Library and Research Service for its impeccable work on this issue. We initiated a scoping report exercise and asked the service to come up with a document. I recommend that everyone get a copy of it before leaving the House today. The service reviewed local government functions from 1993 to 2024. We needed to ascertain facts as to how many powers had been taken back, including under Part 8 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 to 2015, and how central government has more and more dragged back certain powers. I recommend the report because it is highly resourced, factual and full of integrity. Everyone should read it.

The report touched on a key measure that I hope the task force will examine, which is sources of income. As we know, there are four key sources of income for local government, namely, Government grants and subsidies, goods and services, commercial rates and the local property tax. We need to re-examine that situation. If we do not address financing for local government, we are going nowhere. I hope the task force will examine and seek to implement the 25 recommendations in the report. There is no point in revolving the wheel here. I thank the AILG, the Local Authority Members Association, LAMA, and other organisations for the various reports the Minister of State mentioned, which are important.

I am an advocate for all councillors but I am particularly an advocate for Independent councillors. I remind the Minister of State, not that he needs a reminder, that there are 193 Independent councillors serving in local government. They do not have party headquarters or the same resources as other councillors have. I hope that will be reflected in terms of the membership of the task force.I do not know but I have heard suggestions and rumours about some of the people who may be on it. I hope it will be an open and transparent process. I strongly recommend people of experience like Noel Dempsey, one of the most reforming Ministers for local government we had in my lifetime. I would also like for Senators in this House who have vast experience in local government or Senators who made a huge input into the committee to be considered.

I will flag some issues that are important because time is running out. I would like the task force to have a look at the following issues, namely, the full implementation of the Moorhead report; improved remuneration for all councillors; ending the 20-year cut-off date for gratuity; the possibility of a pension for councillors; increased vouched expenses - it is vouched expenses for which I am advocating; and expand the capacity of local government to deliver efficient services. The Minister of State will be aware of the constitutional provisions under Article 28A of the Constitution. That is an important factor that should be borne in mind by the task force; ultimately, councillors have an electoral mandate.

I ask that the task force look at a number of issues because they are important. I ask it to look at the AILG and LAMA reports. I ask it to look at the auditing powers of local authorities and the need for proper accountancy for and accountability of auditors. I have heard of council meetings where they have dealt with auditor's reports in five minutes. The manager said there is nothing to worry about lads, move on, and it was rubber-stamped. That cannot happen. I am calling for a separate audit committee every year to review the auditors recommendations publicly. I ask for the reform of the joint policing committees, JPCs. As a matter of fact, I saw an article this morning in The Connacht Tribunethat was published on 26 May with the headline "Government slammed for ‘mess’ of replacing JPCs.". Little progress has been made and a number of councillors are cited in it. I will send the Minister of State a copy.

We need to look at the Part 8 derogation. We also need to look at security allowances for councillors. I understand from a Commencement matter last week in the name of one of the Minister of State's colleagues that he is looking at that and that is good. If we can make a case for security allowances for TDs, we can make a case for the same for others. I hope some of us in this House with experience will be considered eligible and knowledgeable enough to make a contribution to the task force on many issues. It is an important one.

I want the Minister of State to look again at the municipal districts and the area committees. Many of these do not have funding. For example, in Dublin city and county we have area committees. We do not have municipal districts. I will finish on that. I welcome the fact the Minister of State is here. I ask one other thing, which is the Minister of State might look at the local authority administration Bill introduced by the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, and which fell. It was a good Bill and there were many aspects to it. The Minister of State might have a look at that.