'Make local government more powerful' - Heydon

The next Dail will be 'the most reforming one since 1922', FG's candidiate for Kildare South told a meeting in Calverstown at the weekend, writes Brian Byrne.

Cllr Martin Heydon said that, if elected, he would hope that when he finished his time there that he would be able to say: "I helped change it."

But he said the process of change must start at local authority level, with the 're-empowerment' of local councils. "We must make local government more powerful and more autonomous," he told the group made up mostly of small business operators.

He added that too many TDs are merely 'glorified county councillors', and that in addition to reducing Dail member numbers, a way had to be found to let them concentrate on legislation.

He also suggested that it wasn't a good thing that Dail members stayed there for too long. "It you are in the Dail for 20 years, you're more likely to be keeping your eye on your pension and you are not going to be radical," he said.

Responding to a question as to whether councillors themselves were necessary, Cllr Heydon vigorously defended the system, saying the councillors were there 'as directors to bring the Council officials, including the County Manager, to account'.

But he suggested that consideration could be given to the abolition of Town Councils, and in their place the relevant towns could provide some extra councillors to the County Council, thus saving duplication of effort and expenditure.