Councillors may feel they are losing power as central government takes charge of areas things such as roads and waste, often because the NIMBY syndrome hinders development of any kind. But a novel and timely role for some of our 883 county and city councillors has been proposed.
Enda Nolan, chair of the General Council of County Councils, called for the creation of a European Senate of councillors, elected from local authorities throughout the EU, to address the democratic deficit evident in the recent vote on the Nice Treaty and provide a direct link with the people. Junior minister Eamon ╙ Cuiv, standing in for Noel Dempsey (who was ill), who has had a few things to say about Nice himself of late - and listened at the AGM of the General Council of County Councils in Carlow last weekend.
Nolan's suggestion is unlikely to be a runner: there is, after all, a directly elected European Parliament and the nominated Council of the Regions, but other ideas, - more complaints actually, - from the floor may bear fruit.
The general secretaries of the political parties forgot their own differences long enough to sit on a platform together and face the massed ranks. In an election year, grassroots opinion is important, so the likes of Martin Macken (FF), Tom Curran (FG), Mike Allen (Lab), John Higgins (PD), Heidi Bedell (Green), John Lowry (WP) and Sean McManus (Sinn FΘin) listened intently. Many of the 450 councillors present expressed concerns about service charges, the diminution of council powers, the increased power of bodies such as the roads and the waste management authorities and the little attention party headquarters paid pay to them.