On the last occasion I welcomed the Bill not for its quantity but for its quality. It is a very short Bill, indeed, containing very important provisions which will lead towards better local government. I do not think anybody will disagree with section I which repeals the section of the 1963 Act dealing with the registration of voters, or section 2 which removes certain membership disqualifications for such reasons as having drawn public assistance or having been bankrupt within a certain period. This is in keeping with the policy of the Government since the 1930s. They extended the franchise to people other than property holders and house-holders. They also extended the vote to young people. At that time unless you were a house owner or a property owner you could not vote in the local elections. As far back as the 1930s the Government removed this inhibition. This Bill is in keeping with the Government's policy of extending the franchise to all responsible citizens.
It may be said that it is not proposed in this Bill to hold the elections this year, and that is true. There will be an opportunity in the interim between now and the holding of the elections for us to have a good look at the whole structure of local government. There is a desire on the part of the people to become more fully involved in local government and, indeed, in central government too. It may be regretted by some that Dublin City Council were not restored in this measure. They will, of course, be restored next year when the local elections are held. The reason for the abolition of Dublin City Council may not be relevant to the Bill but previous speakers referred to it at great length. For the record, Dublin City Council were abolished because they refused to strike a rate. On 5th March, 1969, while sitting in committee, the council adopted the estimate.
For some reason, known to a few people, the council changed their minds at the public sitting and refused to strike a rate. Members of local authorities must at all times act with a sense of responsibility and with a due appreciation of their obligations and duties. In this Bill the Minister is seeking to provide us with a good code of local government. While I would welcome the restoration of Dublin City Council, at the same time I think we should have some guarantee that members will not abuse their powers by failing in their duty to the people, thereby leaving the people without representation.
Many of the members of Dublin City Council were also members of various bodies, such as the vocational education committee, the Port and Docks Board and certain city hospital boards. On the abolition of the council they lost their representation on these various bodies. The Minister might consider reappointing these people to these bodies. They gave excellent service on these bodies. Such a step on the part of the Minister would keep these people au fait with changes in relation to these various bodies and, if they are reelected next year as local authority members, they can continue the good work they have been doing.
We have now a breathing space in which to prepare for greater perfection in the machinery of local government. Matters have changed since 1969 at both political and local level. People are much more aware of the value of a local authority. I can see a new era beginning in the sphere of local government. There are lessons to be learned from what happened both North and South. Henceforth there will have to be a much greater liaison and integration at central government and local government levels. Only in this way can real democracy be achieved. I look forward to the time when we can have a series of bodies, starting at local level, with connections and relations with central government.