Victor Boyhan Demands Timeline for Local Government Taskforce
Victor Boyhan addressed the Oireachtas to welcome the Canadian Ambassador and to press for progress on the local government taskforce. He asked the Leader for a formal briefing and a direct timeline for implementation and paid tribute to AILG president Mary Hanna-Hourigan.
Welcome and diplomacy
Victor Boyhan opens by welcoming the Canadian Ambassador and delegation to the Opera House, describing the Canada-Ireland relationship as valued and important. He wishes the delegation success during their visit to the Oireachtas.
Lack of progress on taskforce
Boyhan raised a repeated concern about the local government taskforce: despite repeated requests, he says no briefing, publication of findings or implementation plan has been provided. He emphasised the scale of the issue by referencing City and County Councils across local authorities and called for action before the end of the term.
Call for briefing and timeline
He urged the Leader to provide a formal briefing and a direct timeline for implementing the taskforce recommendations, arguing the Oireachtas should demonstrate determination to publish and act on the taskforce work rather than predetermine its outcome.
Tribute to local government leadership
Boyhan closed by publicly thanking Councillor Mary Hanna-Hourigan for her work as president of the Irish Association of Local Government, praising her advocacy across Ireland, the UK, the islands and the EU and wishing her well on her tenure.
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Thank you Comhairleach. Well firstly I'd like to welcome the Canadian Ambassador. You're very welcome to the Opera House and this bicameral Parliament of ours. Particularly welcome your delegation here and I think Canada is a beacon of light in many regards and I think the Irish people and the Irish government very much value the very special relationship with Canada. So I wish you the very best of luck and every success in your visit here to the Oireachtas. Leader, I just want to raise one issue with you and that is that we have in excess of over 90, exactly 949 City and County Councils in our country and there's not a week, every two weeks I'm up here on my feet asking the same question. Did I ask the same question of you the last time? Which was that we would have a briefing in relation to the findings and the outcome and the recommendations and the plan for the implementation of the local government taskforce. There has been no progress that I'm aware of. Nobody has come back to me. There's been no discussion in this house about it despite numerous requests. So as we end our time this term it's very disappointing. To the 949 councillors all I can say again when I communicated my end of the week letter to them is there has been no progress. That's exceptionally disappointing from a house that the majority of people in here are elected to the franchise of our City and County Councillors across 31 local authorities. And it says something about our commitment to drive forward. We cannot predetermine the outcome of the taskforce but we can demonstrate on the floor of this house our determination to see it implemented, at least published and its taskforce implemented. So I make again another call that we would have a briefing and a direct timeline for the implementation of the local government taskforce. I wrap up on a positive note to single out the president of the AILG Councillor Mary Hannah-Hurrigan and I cannot thank her enough and I know I speak on behalf of many advocates in local government for her exceptional work as the president of the Irish Association of Local Government and I wish her well on her successful tenure and I have great hopes for her for the future. But I want to thank her on behalf of our City and County Councillors for the amazing advocacy work she has done in Ireland, in the UK, in the islands and of course across the European Union in relation to the advocacy of local government. She has served local government well. She has served it with distinction and I think it's only right and proper we should acknowledge that absolute commitment that she has given the job as Uachtarán of AILG. Thank you.
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