I thank Deputy Timmins for raising this very important matter. Like him, I served many years as a local authority member and I was also privileged to be cathaoirleach of my county in Westmeath. I got a huge amount of experience through the process. I am always very much aware that local government is the closest arm of government to the citizen, with the more than 1,100 services it provides in many sectors of society. They are absolutely key and they are upheld and fought for by our local authority members throughout the country. This is why, when I was Minister of State with responsibility for local government I prioritised making improvements by introducing maternity leave for female councillors, which was so important, and bringing about proper pay and conditions for local authority members. I am very much aware of the challenges they face, particularly in our modern era when devising county development plans, local area plans and all of the strategies that local authorities are now obliged to have under primary legislation. Notwithstanding the 180 powers in the reserved functions they have, erosion has taken place in many sectors and many areas of our local authorities. I know from working with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, that he is doing great work in the local government sector. The Government established a task force on local democracy back in June. This has been working to progress and bring proposals forward. It held its inaugural meeting on 26 June and has met on seven occasions to date. It will meet again this afternoon. The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, will be in very close contact and will be watching over the reform proposals therein. I am absolutely a strong supporter of local democracy and of our local authority members, of all parties and none, and the great work they do throughout our country. I would be very supportive of additional powers for our local authority members. We are very clear about the work they do. In many cases, and I know this from my work on local government, local authorities in particular are first responders. If we look at the Ukrainian crisis, when thousands of people came to our shores, local authorities were at the very forefront. We can look at the global pandemic and the work they did. We can look at any of the significant weather events that hit our country. Local authority workers, and particularly our ground staff, are often out there risking their lives, trying to ensure that people can get to work safely and that our local communities can function. A huge debt of gratitude is owed to all of our outdoor staff and all of our local authority members who work tirelessly to ensure we have stronger communities. They are working to plan how infrastructural investment takes shape in our communities through county development plans and local area plans.

Sentiment score: 0.23

I thank Deputy Timmins for his response. I am very much at one with him and the vision he is setting out. The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, along with the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, has brought in a number of local authorities and continues to do so with regard to housing and zoning. This is setting the trend that we need to be more ambitious to ensure we underwrite the infrastructure for the growth of the growing economy we have in this country and the significant growth in our population. Section 28 guidance encourages ambition and local authorities taking a proactive view. This is what we want to see in the trajectory of local property tax, which gives a significant uplift to the budgets of local authorities; we need to see more responsibility being taken on. The local democracy task force is examining these functions and the report will be received by the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, in the coming weeks. We want to ensure that local authorities take responsibility and this will be important for housing. We have to hold the feet of the local authorities to the fire, and we are unambiguous in saying this, in respect of housing. We also commend them on their work in other areas, which is really appreciated by communities up and down our country.

Sentiment score: 0.41