I beg to move: "That the Bill do now pass."
PRIVATE DEPUTIES' BUSINESS. - CORK CITY MANAGEMENT BILL, 1928—FIFTH STAGE.
We are not satisfied with the Bill as a whole. There are principles embodied in it that are not in accord with what our views are with regard to the best means of managing public affairs. We are quite with the Executive in desiring that public authorities such as those of Cork City should have an opportunity of testing the new system that is represented by the idea of city management; but we do not think that the powers as arranged and distributed between the elected body and the official called the City Manager are such as ought to commend themselves to this House. We believe that the elected members who represent the people who foot the bill should not be so restricted in their power as they would be if this Bill were passed into law. We also object to the method of the appointment of the City Manager, the method that is embodied in this Bill. We think that the council itself should have full authority and should be free in such a matter to select the person they think fit and proper. Of course, we understand that as regards the qualifications of the person who is to hold such an important office that is a matter in which the Department of Local Government should have something to say. But once the qualifications have been agreed upon and laid down by the Department of Local Government, then we believe that the local authority should have full power, not alone to select from whatever applicants that come before them a properly qualified person to be appointed as Manager, but that they should have power also and be free to settle the amount of remuneration to be paid for the City Manager's services.
On the whole, we think that this Bill is not in accordance with our ideas of the management of public affairs. It does not give the amount of control to the people who pay that they ought to have. It is not in accordance with our ideas of the freedom of choice that ought to be given to the people who are running their own municipal or local affairs. We think that the policy of distrust, evidence of which is in almost every section of this Bill, is not one that ought to commend itself to this House. We are out for giving the fullest possible freedom to the people, thereby inculcating the teachings of citizenship to the people. We want them to realise that they have serious responsibilities placed upon them. We want citizens who vote for the election of members to a municipal council to be taught to realise that they have serious duties imposed upon them and that it is up to them to see to it that their elected representatives, being given full authority, must do their work properly. We think anything that cribs or confines the authority of these local people unnecessarily will eventually do more harm than good to the local people, to the local authorities concerned, and to the management of its affairs, and that the national effects on the citizens as a whole will not be for the good of this State. On these grounds we oppose the passing of the Bill.
I have all along indicated my opposition to the principle contained in the Cork City Management Bill and, as you are aware, I naturally opposed this in its various stages through the House. But I, as well as many other Cork citizens, recognise that a change was inevitable and that a change was desirable. I want to emphasise that. At the same time I did not contemplate that the change would be so radical or so drastic. Some of us have endeavoured to make the Bill a little less unacceptable to the citizens of Cork and I feel now that we have made some impression on the original draft. As it stands I believe it is not the last word so far as the local government of Cork city is concerned, and I am prepared to give the Bill a trial.
Hear, hear!
I suggest to the House that this Bill is not going to last for ever. If after twelve months' trial it has not the effect that is expected of it and if it is found that the Bill requires amendments or changes in any way, I can assure the House that as far as the citizens of Cork are concerned, we will make ourselves vocal not alone in Cork but in the Dáil. For that reason I intend to support the Bill now and I shall ask those of my Party who are inclined to follow me into the Lobby to do so.
Question put.
The Dáil divided: Tá, 79; Níl, 57.
Tá
- Aird, William P.
- Alton, Ernest Henry.
- Anthony, Richard.
- Beckett, James Walter.
- Bennett, George Cecil.
- Blythe, Ernest.
- Bourke, Séamus A.
- Brennan, Michael.
- Broderick, Henry.
- Broderick, Seán.
- Byrne, Alfred.
- Crowley, James.
- Daly, John.
- Davis, Michael.
- De Loughrey, Peter.
- Doherty, Eugene.
- Dolan, James N.
- Doyle, Peadar Seán.
- Duggan, Edmund John.
- Dwyer, James.
- Egan, Barry M.
- Esmonde, Osmond Thos. Grattan.
- Fitzgerald, Desmond.
- Fitzgerald-Kenney, James.
- Good, John.
- Gorey, Denis J.
- Haslett, Alexander.
- Hassett, John J.
- Heffernan, Michael R.
- Hennessy, Michael Joseph.
- Hennessy, Thomas.
- Hennigan, John.
- Henry, Mark.
- Hogan, Patrick (Galway).
- Holohan, Richard.
- Jordan, Michael.
- Keogh, Myles.
- Law, Hugh Alexander.
- Leonard, Patrick.
- Lynch, Finian.
- Byrne, John Joseph.
- Carey, Edmund.
- Coburn, James.
- Cole, John James.
- Collins-O'Driscoll, Mrs. Margt.
- Colohan, Hugh.
- Conlon, Martin.
- Connolly, Michael P.
- Cooper, Bryan Ricco.
- Cosgrave, William T.
- Craig, Sir James.
- Mathews, Arthur Patrick.
- McDonogh, Martin.
- McFadden, Michael Og.
- McGilligan, Patrick.
- Mongan, Joseph W.
- Morrissey, Daniel.
- Mulcahy, Richard.
- Murphy, James E.
- Myles, James Sproule.
- Nally, Martin Michael.
- Nolan, John Thomas.
- O'Connell, Thomas J.
- O'Connor, Bartholomew.
- O'Donovan, Timothy Joseph.
- O'Leary, Daniel.
- O'Mahony, Dermot Gun.
- O'Reilly, John J.
- O'Sullivan, Gearoid.
- O'Sullivan, John Marcus.
- Redmond, William Archer.
- Reynolds, Patrick.
- Roddy, Martin.
- Shaw, Patrick W.
- Sheehy, Timothy (West Cork).
- Thrift, William Edward.
- Tierney, Michael.
- Vaughan, Daniel.
- Wolfe, Jasper Travers.
Níl
- Allen, Denis.
- Blaney, Neal.
- Boland, Gerald.
- Boland, Patrick.
- Bourke, Daniel.
- Brady, Seán.
- Briscoe, Robert.
- Carney, Frank.
- Carty, Frank.
- Cassidy, Archie J.
- Clery, Michael.
- Colbert, James.
- Cooney, Eamon.
- Corkery, Dan.
- Corish, Richard.
- Corry, Martin John.
- Crowley, Fred. Hugh.
- Crowley, Tadhg.
- Davin, William.
- Derrig, Thomas.
- De Valera, Eamon.
- Fahy, Frank.
- Fogarty, Andrew.
- French, Seán.
- Gorry, Patrick J.
- Goulding, John.
- Holt, Samuel.
- Houlihan, Patrick.
- Jordan, Stephen.
- Kennedy, Michael Joseph.
- Kent, William R.
- Kerlin, Frank.
- Killane, James Joseph.
- Killilea, Mark.
- Kilroy, Michael.
- Lemass, Seán F.
- Little, Patrick John.
- Maguire, Ben.
- McEllistrim, Thomas.
- MacEntee, Seán.
- Moore, Séamus.
- Mullins, Thomas.
- Murphy, Timothy Joseph.
- O'Hanlon, John F.
- O'Kelly, Seán T.
- O'Leary, William.
- O'Reilly, Matthew.
- O'Reilly, Thomas.
- Powell, Thomas P.
- Ruttledge, Patrick J.
- Ryan, James.
- Sexton, Martin.
- Sheehy, Timothy (Tipperary).
- Smith, Patrick.
- Tubridy, John.
- Walsh, Richard.
- Ward, Francis C.
Tellers:—Tá: Deputies Duggan and P.S. Doyle. Níl: Deputies G. Boland and Allen.
Motion declared carried.
Ordered: That the Bill be sent to the Seanad.