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Morning Ireland: Enda Kenny, Fine Gael leader, discusses the party's preliminary proposals on changes to local government
Fine Gael is drawing up a plan which, if the party was returned to office, would give greatly increased powers to local councillors while reducing those of city and county managers.
A draft policy document is also recommending the scrapping of Health Boards, Fisheries Boards and Harbour Boards and the introduction of 'community policing'.
The most radical Fine Gael suggestion is that each city and county would have a directly-elected fulltime Mayor or Council Cathaoirleach who would be paid a salary of around €100,000.
These would take over many of the powers now held by city and county managers, who would in turn be re-designated as Chief Directors in charge of carrying out the directions of the elected councils.
