Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Councillor Sheahan for his crystal ball gazing. The committee's intention is to have the report ready for the political parties and for all those who made contributions in advance of any tea leaves reading he might be doing. The most important part being that it would be included in programmes for Government and prior to that part of election manifestoes for political parties and groupings.

I will call Dr. Bríd Quinn and Dr. Mark Callanan who are the current and previous members of the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, CLRA, group of independent experts on the European charter of local self-government. I call Dr Quinn first and she is most welcome.