Ending dual mandate positive, says Cullen

The ending of the dual mandate would allow local government to develop its own separate role within democracy for the first time since the foundation of the State, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, told the House.

"No longer will the conduct of council business be subject to such external constraints as parliamentary timetables. Nor should it be." Mr Cullen was introducing the Local Government Bill, which will end the dual mandate, whereby members of the Oireachtas can also be members of local authorities, from the local elections in the summer of 2004. Debate on the Bill continues today.

Mr Cullen said the move was also a recognition of the growth in the range and complexity of local government business over the past decade. In parallel, at national level, the parliamentary committee system had continued to develop and provided the opportunity for members to have a much fuller role in the consideration of legislation and in the overview of Government policy generally.

"The demands on time have increased correspondingly. This is a trend which will undoubtedly intensify as parliament evolves still further in tune with the key role of the Oireachtas, which under the Constitution is charged with the sole and exclusive power of making laws for the State."

The Bill, said Mr Cullen, was the culmination of a long process which had been moving progressively for well over a decade. They had now reached a stage where some 12 years after the first legislative steps were taken, the dual mandate would be brought to a close by the Bill in about a year's time. "In this context, it is worth noting that the ending of the dual mandate has been the official policy of almost all political parties in this House.

"The main Opposition parties supported the end of the dual mandate the last time such legislation was before this House."