I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting my Commencement matter this morning. It called for the Government to respond to the final report from the local democracy task force. I submitted that Commencement matter as our party’s spokesperson for local government. It is an issue that I have raised a number of times in the course of the past year. I commended the Government on establishing the local democracy task force and making its work plan time-bound. I commended the councillors, the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, and the Local Authority Members Association, LAMA, under the chairmanship of Jim Breslin, on the fine work they did. Indeed, this work builds on the work of the Cathaoirleach and the consultations on local government in the previous Seanad.

Everyone in this House values local government. We all understand the value of our local democracy and the incredible role our elected representatives undertake to represent and champion their communities and ensure they are properly served.

The Minister came into the House and gave a response which, unfortunately, there was not a hard copy of to share with Senators. We are assured we will get a copy but I do not understand what the issue was in the Minister's Department that no hard copy was readily available. What was more disappointing was that the response was essentially a description of what has gone on over the last year or so. Any of us worth our salt know what has been going on. We know the amount of engagement and we know the level of commitment and interest in that local democracy task force.

It was hugely disappointing. The response did not answer the question. It did not tell us how the Government is going to respond and it did not give any clarity on if and when there will be a review of the local electoral boundaries. These are not just important to the officials who will administer those local elections and to the councils, councillors and candidates who will contest them, but are actually more important to the communities they will serve.

My request to the Acting Leader is very simple. In the first week we return, I would like the Leader to arrange at least a two-hour debate for this House with the relevant Minister on the Government's response to the local democracy task force. Our communities, councillors and local authorities all want to know how the Government is going to work with them to support them to strengthen our local government.