Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-16
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Paul Murphy (PBP), Dublin South-West

Has the Taoiseach had any discussion about local democracy with his European counterparts, and about the fact Ireland has the lowest levels of autonomy and local democracy in all of Europe? I will give the Taoiseach a dramatic illustration of this. I have raised before with him the attempt by South Dublin County Council to massively hike rents for 20,000 families - council tenants, housing assistance payment, HAP, tenants, homeless HAP tenants and approved housing body, AHB, tenants - at an average of €1,000. It is trying to do this without a vote. It was not included in the budget. Then it tried to say it was going to be implemented from 1 July, because it is an executive function and the council can just set it. Eleven councillors signed a motion to call a special meeting to hear a section 140 motion to stop this rent increase going ahead until the previously unanimously agreed consultation would take place. Just yesterday, council management ruled that out. The motion is considered invalid and the request for a special meeting of the council is not being granted. One of the reasons the council is doing so is that it says the motion is effectively seeking to prevent the performance of a function which the chief executive is required by law to perform. The chief executive is not required to increase rents. Can the Taoiseach confirm that? Does he agree that the councillors should be allowed to meet and vote?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:50+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-16