Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. I thank the Minister of State for taking time out of his busy schedule for coming to the House. I have raised the issue of councillors' terms and conditions on many occasions, as have other Senators. There is a great deal of frustration regarding the pace of progress - or, indeed, the lack of progress - on this issue. I acknowledge the great and tireless work carried out on behalf of local elected members by their two representative bodies, the Association of Local Government and the Local Authority Members Association, on this issue. I acknowledge the Minister of State's contribution in respect of this issue to date. He has appointed Sara Moorhead, SC, to examine this matter and make recommendations in respect of the remuneration and role of elected members. I understand Ms Moorhead is due to make her recommendations known later next month. Perhaps the Minister of State might be able to tie down that timeframe in more detail. I sincerely hope, as do many others, including him, that the report will be positive with regard to local authority members.

The Minister of State comes from a local authority background and he no doubt appreciates that the role of local authority members has changed beyond recognition. It has effectively become a full-time role that attracts part-time remuneration. It is vital that we try, where possible, to attract the best people to represent our communities. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated and hard-working local authority members across all parties and none who work tirelessly on behalf of their communities. Their workload has grown to such an extent that many local authority members are finding it difficult to continue in the role because, financially, it is not possible for them to do so. That is a shame. As councillors look towards the local elections due to be held next May, many are considering their position because they do not believe they will be able to support themselves and their families on the small amount of remuneration they receive. We have reached to a crossroads regarding local authority members. I do not think I am overstating that point. It is important that we address this issue and bring clarity to it before the local elections next May in order that those who might seek re-election will know exactly what will be their terms, conditions and role into the future. It is also important that those who may be contemplating representing the communities from which they come are afforded clarity before the local elections.

I look forward to the Minister of State's response. I do not doubt his sincerity for one minute in respect of this issue. I am heartened that he seems to have grasped the nettle and I hope he might be in a position to outline what the future may look like for local authority members.

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this issue. I am pleased to provide an update on the position concerning the review of the role and remuneration of elected members of local authorities. The issue of supports for councillors is one to which I have devoted considerable time and attention, including in this House, since taking up office as Minister of State with responsibility for local government and electoral reform in June 2017. Since that date, I have made a range of improvements to the supports provided to councillors. In November 2017, the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform and I co-signed amending regulations under section 142 of the Local Government Act 2001. The regulations provided for a new allowance for councillors worth €1,000 per annum, backdated to 1 July 2017, in recognition of the additional workload following the 2014 reforms. They also gave effect to a new optional vouched expenses allowance worth up to a maximum of €5,000 per annum, which councillors may choose to opt for in place of an existing un-vouched allowance worth approximately €2,500 per annum. This is in addition to the composite annual expenses allowance paid to councillors, which is designed to defray, in a structured way, reasonable expenses incurred by them in attending council meetings. I would also point out that the representational payment paid to councillors, which is currently linked to a Senator's salary, was recently increased to €17,060 per annum in line with adjustments arising from the public service stability agreement.Notwithstanding the current situation, I am strongly of the view that it is important to support councillors appropriately, with due regard for transparency and accountability to ensure that they can effectively carry out their role as elected local representatives. Fully aware of concerns expressed by councillors themselves and in these Houses about their current remuneration regime, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, and I agreed to the commissioning of a review of the role and remuneration of councillors. On 21 June, I appointed Ms Sara Moorhead, senior counsel, to conduct this review.

Based on the agreed terms of reference, the review will involve an in-depth examination of the role performed by councillor including: their statutory reserved functions; the political and community leadership role they perform; the governance responsibilities of council members; and their representational role within communities. The outcome of this review will be to more fully elaborate on the role of the councillor and it is intended that this will inform an examination of the current system of remuneration of councillors, with a view to proposals for a remuneration package that is representative of and commensurate with the role.

The review will be informed by input from my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. While it would not be appropriate for me to pre-empt the findings of Ms Moorhead's review, I can confirm that her work is well under way, and a number of meetings with different groups have taken place and submissions have been sought.

I set out in the terms of reference for the review that she consult with local authority elected members and their representative organisations, political parties, local authority chief executives and other appropriate stakeholders. It is intended that a survey of individual councillors will begin shortly. The review will produce an interim report. I note what Senator Gallagher said earlier about the frustration at the rate of progress. The commitment I gave in my statement at the time was that following Hallowe'en we would have an interim report. I have received no indication of any deviation from this, although I note in the script that I have been given by the Department that it states before the end of the year. It is still very much my intention that the interim report will be published in November. The reason for this, as has been pointed out, is that people are making decisions about whether they are going to contest local elections and that report, while not being the full finished product, should be able to give people some help in reaching those decisions. The timing for the final report will be considered thereafter and will be published in full in the spring of the year. Many people will be making those crucial decisions well before then which is why an interim report is vital.

When the review is complete the findings will be subject to discussion between the two Departments and will be submitted thereafter for the consideration of the Government. Let me conclude again by thanking Senator Gallagher and other Senators for their initiative in placing and keeping this item on the political agenda.

John O'Mahony (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State. Does the Senator wish to come back in?

Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his very comprehensive outline of the timetable involved in this issue. Like the Minister of State, I look forward to the interim report being published hopefully in the next few weeks. As the Minister of State said, it is important as this report will help to bring clarity to those who are contemplating seeking re-election and those who wish to put their name forward for the first time. I am heartened by the Minister of State's contribution and look forward to a successful outcome to this long-running saga.

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I spoke to Ms Sara Moorhead when I asked her to do this but have not spoken to her directly since as it would be inappropriate of me to do so. Officials within the Department have indicated to me that there is no deviation. The timeframe was that following Hallowe'en, there would be an interim report and that the full report would be published in the spring. As far as I am concerned, and from the Department's point of view, those deadlines will be met.

John O'Mahony (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State.