It is not the Leas-Cheann Comhairle or the Ceann Comhairle; it is the legislation.

I just want to make it clear. I agree with the Tánaiste.

Is the Bill opposed?

Since this is a Private Members' Bill, Second Stage must, under Standing Orders, be taken in Private Members' time.

I thank Deputy Gould.

On a 13th century site in Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny, stands one of the last remaining textile mills, run by a family since 1778, the Cushendale Woollen Mills. It was successful in the procurement process to provide a corporate gift of a scarf for those who will participate in the EU Presidency. I mention this because it is of significance to how a family-owned Irish company can benefit from a procurement process that will now bring its product to the attention of countries within the European Union. It is pr…

I should have sai thatd we are dealing with amendments Nos. 2, 3, 5, 9 and 18.

No. We are dealing with amendment No. 2 to section 2. That is because the relevant Deputy was not here to move amendment No. 1.

Yes, it was. We can come back to amendment No. 12 when we get to it. At the moment, we are on the grouping that includes amendment No. 2.

That is okay. The Minister is forgiven.

No.

Yes. Amendments Nos. 2, 3, 5, 9 and 18 are related and may be discussed together.

You can take that up with the Ceann Comhairle's office.

They were ruled out of order. The ruling is made.

Amendments Nos. 4, 16 and 19 are related and will be discussed together.

The time permitted for this debate having expired, I am required to put the following question in accordance with an order of the Dáil of this day: "That in respect of each of the sections undisposed of, the section is hereby agreed to in Committee, the Title is hereby agreed to in Committee, the Bill is accordingly reported to the House without amendment, Fourth Stage is hereby completed and the Bill is hereby passed."

Amendments Nos. 1, 12 and 13 are related and may be discussed together.

I raise Kilkenny city and the status it has had since the 1609 charter, granted by King James, which established it as a city with a mayor. It survived Cromwell but it did not survive the recent local government legislation that reduced it from a city to a borough. That particular move has not worked fully for the citizens of Kilkenny city.

If the Minister asks anyone in Kilkenny city or, I am sure, in his town of Wexford, he will be told the best structure of democracy they had - in Kilkenny's case since 1609 - was the corporation or the borough council. The stripping of that title is depriving people of a pride they had in that office, the office of mayor and the office of those who were elected to serve the citizens of, in this case, Kilkenny. I am asking the Minister to go back to the drawing board and to understand that a seven-person borough com…

I wonder who the task force asked. I am aware it asked elected representatives, possibly, for their input and view but what about the people who are demanding it - the citizens we say we represent here? They are demanding something very different, not just accountability and transparency, which much be improved. They are asking for direct access to local democracy where decisions are made that affect their lives. They are asking for direct input through their public representatives about budgets that are passed, wh…