End to dual mandate pledged

Fianna Fail is committed to a "people-centred" local government in its campaign for next month's elections, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has said.

Speaking in Galway last night at a function to initiate his party's European and local election campaign in the area, the Taoiseach said the party would allow local authority members to be paid an annual stipend, and the dual mandate allowing representation at both national and local level would also be debarred by 2004.

Outlining the party's local authority plan, he said Fianna Fail proposes to establish community development boards in each county, provide community development liaison officers in each electoral area, and appoint local development groups, area partnerships, EU-funded ADM companies and LEADER groups as full participants in the new arrangements.

The party also proposes to establish a community warden service, to introduce a charter for customer service and to introduce "one-stop shops" in all local authorities where people can do all their business, Mr Ahern said.

"One could say that in many ways a community is as good as the people who serve it, but Fianna Fail does not believe in resting only on its statements of interest," Mr Ahern said. "No, we are willing to plan, propose and pay for a better system, a renewed system, one in tune with the needs of a very sophisticated electorate."

Endorsing the party's new candidate for Connacht-Ulster in the European elections, the Taoiseach paid tribute to both Mr Noel Treacy, the Minister of State for Science, Technology and Commerce, who is standing, and Mr Mark Killilea MEP, who is retiring. Mr Treacy will be running with the sitting MEP, Mr Pat "The Cope" Gallagher, in a highly competitive field which now includes two independents - the singer, Dana, and Ms Marian Harkin, formerly of the Council for the West.

The fact that the Connacht-Ulster constituency had now secured Objective One status during the next round of EU monies would mean that any regional imbalances can be rectified in the period ahead, Mr Treacy said during his speech.

He paid tribute to the Taoiseach for his personal commitment to the regionalisation process.