The second stage of the Local Government Bill has been passed by the Dáil. The Government decided to drop a controversial proposal banning TDs and Senators from holding seats on county councils last night. Opposition parties have called on the Minister for the Environment to resign over his decision.
The four Independent deputies, who support the Coalition, had warned that if Noel Dempsey proceeded with his plan to end the dual mandate, their support for the Government would be called into question. Mildred Fox, Jackie Healy-Rea, Harry Blaney and Tom Gildea argued their survival in national politics depended on the maintenance of their positions on their county councils. The Committee stage of the Bill will be heard next week.
Negotiations over many months failed to forge a compromise and with the summer Dáil recess approaching, Noel Dempsey bowed to the inevitable and withdrew his proposal. Opposition parties have since described Mr Dempsey's position as untenable and called for his resignation. Fine Gael's Olivia Mitchell warned that the demands of the Independents will become greater as the Government nears the end of its term of office.
Mr Dempsey's U-turn on the abolition of the dual mandate for TDs and Senators led to heated exchanges in the Dáil this morning, with the Opposition refusing to agree the Order of Business until the situation was clarified.
Fine Gael's Jim Mitchell accused the Government of making fundamental changes to the Bill and Labour's Brendan Howlin called on the Government not to guillotine the Bill. He said that Mr Dempsey's action was "no way to treat the House or the legislature".
Green Party deputy, Trevor Sargent, said that the issue of local government reform was now without credibility. Mr Sargent said that the Green Party had offered a way out for the Government last March, when they offered to support the Local Government Bill. He added that this "bare-faced" U-turn was a signal that Mr Dempsey had caved in to the Independents' small-minded approach to politics.
The Tánaiste pointed out that Noel Dempsey agreed last night to bring forward to Government, next week, an amendment to the Bill. Mary Harney also said that many of the issues raised by the opposition would be "more meaningfully discussed" at committee stage. The Local Government Bill is about much more than the abolition of the dual mandate. It runs to over 200 pages, and includes provisions for directly elected mayors.
The Labour Party Spokesman on the Environment, Eamon Gilmore, said on RTÉ Radio this morning that the Bill could have been passed in the Dáil with the support of his party. On RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he accused the Taoiseach and the Government of sacrificing the Minister and his reforms in order to make a survival pact with the independents.
The Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said that the U-turn amounted to "a legislative farce". He said that the decision was forced on the Government, not only by the independents, but also by many Fianna Fáil backbenchers whose grumbling against the proposed measure was less audible but no less ominous.
