Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)

The Senator is right that the establishment of a local authority is primary legislation. However, the recognition of somewhere as a city is different. That has been done through charters and by different methods over the centuries. To back up the Senator's point, the CSO will define a city as having a population over 50,000. Drogheda ticks that box. Kilkenny only has a population of 27,000. My view is that there is definitely merit in the recognition of a city. I think the separate local authority creates far more complications. A local democracy task force is being established by the Minister, Deputy Browne. I assume that will look at things like bringing back town councils. The Senator correctly alluded to the fact that town councils were done away with. In my view that was a retrograde step for many of our towns, including my own town of Clonakilty. I assume the task force will look at that. Perhaps, Drogheda's status as a city could also be looked at in that process. It is certainly something I will bring to the senior Minister.