Local Government (Support for Elected Members) Bill 2024: Second Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2025-12-10
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Kieran O'Donnell (FG), Limerick City

I thank the Senators for their forbearance. It looks like there will be a vote in the Dáil in approximately 20 minutes. I will stay to hear the rest of the Senators. I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for housing and local government, Deputy Browne. I thank Senators Black, Flynn, Ruane and Higgins for the opportunity to come before the House this evening for the Second Stage debate on this Bill, which seeks to provide administrative support to elected members of local authorities to assist them in the performance of their duties.
Fifteen Senators have spoken so far. I understand how important it is. I fully understand how important the role of the councillor is. I was a councillor. When I was listening to Senator Boyhan, it brought back memories of my first time in public life. I would have to say some of my most enjoyable days were as a councillor. It was new. It was exciting. It brought back fond memories. I was Minister of State with responsibility for local government for a relatively short period of time - I was there for approximately 16 months - but I have huge time for local councillors. I see Councillor Joe Malone from LAMA and Councillor Mary Hanna Hourigan, the president of the AILG, in the Gallery. I have huge respect for them. In the limited time I held the portfolio, I wanted to do as much as I could. Facing the challenge of work-life balance is hugely important.
I acknowledge what the proposed Bill is seeking to address. I know how well intentioned it is. Anything that improves the performance of local government is hugely important. While I believe the proposal is worthy of further consideration, the Minister, Deputy Browne, is supportive of a timed amendment for reasons I will explain shortly. First, I would like to remind the House of some of what has happened by way of improvements for councillors. I came to the local government portfolio in very late 2022 and I was there for 2023 and up to April 2024. When I came into the Department, the first thing I wanted to bring in was administrative support for councillors availing of maternity leave. I worked intensively with officials on it because I felt it was hugely important. It allows those who have recently given birth and chosen to avail of maternity leave to engage additional administrative support to assist them in their roles. For the benefit of the Senators who proposed the Bill, the Minister has tabled a timed amendment but I know how well intentioned what they are putting forward is and I acknowledge that. The maternity administrative support allowance covers expenses incurred by local authority members by allowing them to engage an individual on a part-time basis for 13 hours per week to maintain basic office duties and provide other secretarial and administrative duties for a period of 42 consecutive weeks, or longer in the case of a premature birth. The introduction of this allowance followed the introduction in 2022 of legislation which provided for the first time for councillors to take maternity leave. That legislation also provided for the possibility of appointment by co-option of an individual as a temporary substitute for a councillor who takes maternity leave or is absent due to illness or, in good faith, another reason under section 18 of the Local Government Act 2001.
In June 2023, in another initiative to enhance work-life balance, the Department launched a pilot scheme in four local authorities supporting the installation of cameras and video equipment in council chambers where the existing infrastructure was inadequate for the running of hybrid meetings. The scheme has been rolled out to 13 local authorities with almost €350,000 worth of investment by the Department. Councillors have also seen a number of other improvements in terms of administration supports to them over the past five years. When I was in the Ministry, I worked intensively with both LAMA and the AILG. They are very good. I think Councillor Malone would have been involved, even at that stage. It is something we would have worked on very much. I believe in that collaborative approach.
The Independent Review of the Role and Remuneration of Local Authority Elected Members, overseen by Ms Sara Moorhead SC and published in 2020, proposed a radical overhaul of councillor remuneration. That was commissioned by the then Minister of State with responsibility for local government, John Paul Phelan. All of the pay-related recommendations of that report were acceded to by the previous Government. For example, with effect from 1 July 2021, the salary-type payment of €18,706 that councillors received previously was replaced by a single salary-style remuneration payment of €25,788. The annual remuneration payment has since increased in line with Government pay agreements. As of 1 August, as Senator Ahearn referenced, this payment is now €31,356. It represents an increase of two thirds over the last five years. Additionally and notably, a vouched expense allowance, the local representation allowance, LRA, was introduced to replace the fixed annual rate as well as the previous optional vouched expense allowance. The LRA is worth a maximum of €5,160 annually and, importantly in the context of the debate on councillors, may be used to purchase secretarial assistance.
Another improvement at the time - the need for this was something that came up a lot in my time in the Ministry - was the introduction of a gratuity. I worked extensively with the officials at the time to bring in a revised gratuity payment for retiring councillors. I note what Members are saying here about the pension, in terms of PRSI contributions. It is something I will bring back to the Minister. The revised gratuity payment for retiring councillors that has been introduced is currently worth up to a maximum of €94,068, subject to service. A security allowance, which I introduced as well in 2023, has subsequently been increased this year to a lifetime maximum of €10,000 to cover 100% of eligible security expenses. I understand the value of what councillors do. In the limited time that I spent in this portfolio, I wanted to improve the circumstances for councillors. I mentioned that along with others, I have helped to reduce the burden on serving councillors to make the role of councillors viable, more sustainable and interesting to those entering politics.
Turning to current developments, many Senators referred to the local democracy task force, which was established in June 2025. It is in the programme for Government. It is currently progressing with its schedule with the aim of delivering a recommendation to my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Browne, in early 2026. The decision to set up the task force was informed by a substantial body of work that was undertaken to examine the functions and responsibilities of local government, particularly the work here in the Chamber and the Seanad Public Consultation Committee's report on the future of local democracy, which preceded the establishment of the task force.
I draw attention to the first recommendation of the Seanad Public Consultation Committee report, which called for the establishment of a local democracy task force. In those circumstances, I ask this House to wait for the work of the task force to conclude before seeking to progress the Bill. There is a considerable body of work under way in terms of the task force, which is chaired by Jim Breslin. It has a number of pillars. It is covering the structure, functions, governance and funding of local authorities. It includes consideration of how to rebalance power between elected councillors and the local authority executive and the potential for devolving more decision-making powers to councillors. The task force, in the course of its work, will examine the committee report as well as reports from the AILG and the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, and obviously the work of LAMA as well. All these endeavours form a strong foundation for the task force.
The issue of providing councillors with enhanced and timely data to inform their work is a key consideration in providing greater input and oversight over the local authority's budget.
It is also important to note that the task force is specifically looking at which supports to provide councillors to assist them in carrying out their functions. Both the AILG and LAMA are represented on the task force. Their contribution will be important in this and other areas of the task force's work. There are four pillars on particular functions. Pillar groups will be used to provide a forum for all key stakeholders, including LAMA and AILG, to make a meaningful impact. In addition members of council representative associations, the pillar groups comprise subject matter experts from across the local authority sector and academia. By structuring it in this manner it is intended that well thought out recommendations can be brought forward for consideration by the Government.
The Government is particularly keen that when the task force, making its recommendations, considered the suitability for implementation of each. The proposal agreed by the Government on foot of the recommendations of the task force would constitute the next generation of local council reforms and will have a long-term impact on our local government sector. By establishing the task force, the Government has demonstrated a commitment to enhancing democracy at local level. We want to ensure that government across society, and particularly local government, has powers and that there is representation, particularly female representation. We need diversity across all sections of society. Representation of all areas of society is important at every level. We have to make it more family friendly. When you get people from all sections of society, male and female, you get the best results because everyone is represented in the room. We will not agree on everything, but the tension and the synergies you get bring about really good and sustainable policy.
By establishing the task force, the Government has demonstrated a commitment to enhancing democracy at a local level. As I outlined the Bill represents an effort to address the workload of elected members of local authorities many of whom balance their part-time roles with employment or caring responsibilities. It is true that over the past 20 years the role and workload of councillors has increased in terms of structures and the work they do. Senators will appreciate that the programme for Government refers to supports to further enable councillors to carry out their work.
I have already acknowledged that this is a well-intentioned proposal. I do not wish to question that in any way. However, Senators will appreciate that the Government has a body of work under way with the task force. It is a structured body of work. It is independently chaired. Jim Breslin is a very fine former public official. LAMA and AILG are represented and it draws across expertise. We have to continually improve the situation for councillors. We have made great strides, and that has been acknowledged. The task force is required to deliver recommendations to the Government in the early part of next year at which time the Government will consider the recommendations and make policies for implementation including legislative amendments if necessary. The timed amendment will allow for the proposal contained in this Bill to be considered in the round and in the context of the task force's recommendations.
When the task force reports, the Minister, Deputy Browne, and the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, want it to make recommendations that are suitable and sustainable. Those recommendations will come up for discussion. We very much welcome everyone’s feedback. We are all practising politicians here. Councillors play an absolutely vital role. I admire what they do. Many of us came through the councillor route. It is where we learned our craft. There are people who have served on them for many years and there are a lot of young people coming in. That provides vibrancy as well. I would never question people's motives. I understand where Senators are coming from. We would obviously like to work in partnership, so the Senators should allow the timed amendment to go through. We do not want to do anything that would in any way not allow the task force to carry out its work. The timed amendment would allow consideration of the proposals contained in the Bill in the round in the context of the task force's recommendations.
People tabling proposals is always welcome. We may not always agree, but the intention behind what is proposed here is to improve councillors’ circumstances. That is something we all want. I thank Senators Black, Flynn and Ruane for introducing this Bill and for the detailed consideration that they and other Members have given to the issue. I hope I will be able to stay for the remainder of the debate. If a vote is called in the Dáil and I am not able to remain, I apologise.
This has been a very welcome debate. I will speak briefly on the key points that came up. People spoke about the task force. The commonality was the pension issue. I will bring that back to the Minister. PRSI was mentioned. I expect that these are all matters that will get due consideration. Again, I thank Senators for the debate and look forward to being able to listen to the remainder of the contributions.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-12-10/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:26+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-10