Galway Advertiser 2002/2002_11_07/GA_07112002_E1_010.pdf 

Extracted text

G a l w a y politicians have no fear o f losing dual mandate
GALWAY POLITICIANS are not too worried about Government plans to abolish the dual mandate and feel it will be voted through this time instead of being scuppered as it was before. The Government has begun preparations to abolish the dual mandate which allows members of the Oireachtas to hold council seats at the same time. If such legislation comes before the Dail a n d is p a s s e d , many T D s a n d senators would have to relinquish their council seats before the local elections in 2004. Among those w h o would b e affected is city councillor Sen Margaret Cox and Galway East T D s Paul Connaughton and Paddy McHugh, both members of Galway County Council. C o n n a u g h t o n is s u p p o r t i n g t h e abolition and says being a councillor is now a full-time j o b with the work load is getting very heavy. " T h e j o b of a local councillor h a s g o t remarkably difficult in r e c e n t years a n d I have never been as busy as I a m now," he said. "Once we used to talk about six day weeks, now it's seven day weeks. I t ' s very difficult t o d o t h e t w o of them." Cox will s u p p o r t t h e b a n as s h e b e l i e v e s it w i l l free c o u n c i l from having to make special arrangements to suit the timetables of Oireachtas members. However D e p Paddy McHugh said he would find it difficult to s u p p o r t t h e abolition w i t h o u t it being accompanied by better pay for c o u n c i l l o r s a n d great p o w e r begin devolved to the local authorities. All t h r e e b e l i e v e O i r e a c h t a s members should still have access to council officials as much of their work is constituency based and relates to issues they would cover as councillors. Many TDs feel their council seat is an advantage in keeping their profile high among the electorate. If that were to go, they argue, so would their base in their constituency. It is not a view shared by the Galway politicians. "I was elected to the DSil without being a councillor and it didn't make any difference," says Connaughton. "I will be working away," said McHugh. " I ' v e g o t a full t i m e office and secretary and the public can drop in any time. I don't think it will make any difference" while Cox added: "I don't think you need to be a councillor to be a good national politician." There is also much speculation that Fianna F&il backbenchers may try to block the abolition. C o x says such reports are greatly exaggerated. C o n n a u g h t o n is more c a u t i o u s . He feels it will be hard to get through, but should make it as the government has

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