Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, to the House. He is a great friend of councillors and has been very proactive and has worked hard in his role since his appointment. He knows about this because he was at the front line and he started from the ground up. He is to be commended on all his experience over the years, which makes him understand the issues affecting councillors probably better than most.

Recently, the Department rolled out a scheme worth up to €5,000 that has beefed up security for Oireachtas Members, following a recommendation made in a security review by the Garda. The matter I raise details that councillors are the first line of politics on this island. They are immersed in communities in every respect. In some instances, they are probably at a greater security risk than some Oireachtas Members, but there is no doubt the two groups are on a par.

I am grateful the Minister of State is taking this Commencement matter because I know he has been working on the issue. We discussed councillors' expenses previously and the Minister of State allowed them to include as expenses the cost of security cameras, gates and alarms. However, we must go a little stretch further, as has been recommended by the Garda for Oireachtas Members. Councillors should be afforded the same possibility. I am sure the Minister of State is doing his best to do what he can. I look forward to his response.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Davitt for raising the matter of the security of councillors once again. I acknowledge the work he has done in this area on behalf of all our colleagues and councillors the length and breadth of Ireland. I have huge respect for the work they do. I started as a councillor and my colleagues were very supportive in allowing me to continue my political career by electing me to the Seanad. I wish to acknowledge that.

The matter raised is in the context of the recently published regulations on security for Oireachtas Members. I am grateful for the opportunity to come to the House to speak about the important issue of councillors' security. Senator Davitt makes reference to that. It is hugely important that councillors are able to go about their representation work in a way that is secure. Local government plays an important role in the life of the nation and is responsible for the delivery of a wide range of services. Elected councils provide a vital forum for the democratic representation of local communities. All elected representatives should be free to carry out their functions and representational role without fear of harassment or intimidation. In some quarters there are heightened adversarial attitudes, which is corrosive to democratic participation. They risk deterring potential new candidates and, more particularly, inducing existing representatives to withdraw from political life.

The regulations to which Senator Davitt refers were published in recent weeks, at the end of last month. Officials from my Department have been in touch with their Oireachtas counterparts, whom I understand are currently working out the details of the scheme for Oireachtas Members. I have asked my officials to study the full details of the Oireachtas scheme closely, once they are finalised and available, with a view to preparing a specific business case for the introduction of a similar security allowance for councillors, taking into account their particular context. A business case should of course set out the rationale and evidence for any such allowance, as well as its value and cost.My officials will engage with councillor representative organisations, the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, and Local Authority Members Association, LAMA, in relation to the evidence base for such an allowance. I have given that commitment and I am following through on it, but I want to do it in a structured way. It has come through at Oireachtas level as a statutory instrument but the details of the scheme are now being fleshed out. We are in contact and have been through it at an official level. I want to see the final details of that scheme and then we will proceed to do a business case for councillors but taking account of their particular context.

Any such allowance would have to be introduced by the making of ministerial regulations under section 142 of the Local Government Act 2001 and countersigned by the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, as was done with the Oireachtas allowance.

By way of general overview, I would like to draw the Senator's attention to the existing financial supports for councillors according to the provisions of the Local Government (Expenses of Local Authority Members) Regulations 2021. These include the local representation allowance, LRA, which is of a value of €5,160. There are 14 eligible various expenditure items.

Senator Davitt and I spoke previously and a clarification issued from my Department in December 2022, which I committed to doing, on the issue of home security systems for councillors who have home offices. It is my intention that further clarification will shortly issue in an updated circular to councillors which outlines and provides guidance on the various allowances of which councillors may avail. I want this to be an updated and evolving system. Installation costs of CCTV systems may be covered in full under the improvements to office accommodation category. Monthly and annual costs associated with home alarm monitoring may also be apportioned and claimed under utilities up to a maximum of 20% of the total cost.

I thank Senator Davitt for raising this issue and I welcome his comments. I, in my role as Minister of State with responsibility for local government, along with my officials, am proactively working on this. We are looking to see what is happening in terms of the scheme that comes out of the Oireachtas. Then we will be looking to make a business case on the specifics with councillors.

Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State who, as always, has come here with good news. As he says, he is being proactive. He understands councillors and he understands their safety and security concerns. It is great news that he is actively looking at this scheme. I have no doubt that its roll-out will happen in time. I really appreciate his work.

I appreciate that he has looked at the different categories in relation to the allowances. He is keeping us updated on what the different allowances can be spent on, as he discussed here with us previously. I thank him very much again. This is a good news day for councillors.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Once again I thank Senator Davitt for raising this very important matter. Improved home security measures can help somewhat to reassure councillors and provide peace of mind for them and their families. However, there are wider questions of civility in public life and respect for elected office, which must be tackled at a societal level.

Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Hear, hear.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

We are here to represent the public. It is very much an interactive model. We have a particular system in Ireland where we are very close to the public and we must maintain that. It brings an added dimension to our political life that is not available in some other countries. For that to happen, we must have respect on both sides. That is the case for the majority of the public. I would hate to have a situation whereby the behaviour of a few impinges on our interactive electoral system that works very well for the politicians and more particularly for the public.

I note with interest the recent publication of SI 196 of 2023 and my Department will exam the details of the emerging security allowance scheme for Oireachtas members closely. As I said, it will have to be introduced by way of a statutory instrument, ministerial regulations under section 142 of the Local Government Act and countersigned by the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform.

I acknowledge the work of both AILG and LAMA, which are representative associations for their members. We will continue to interact with the Oireachtas on the design of the scheme. We will see exactly what comes out of that. We will then look to create a business case for councillors, we will look at security and we will look at the specific circumstances for councillors. We will then produce a business case that will have to go to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. We will interact with representative associations on this matter and we will continue to work on it.

I thank Senator Davitt and the House for the opportunity to speak about this very important issue.

Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. That was well said. Just get the cheque book out.

Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. That is a very necessary intervention and a very necessary support.