Wexford Senator calling on the Government to allow regional authorities the right to make decisions in the areas of education, policing and transport

Limited revenue-raising and spending powers means local councillors are being excluded from making big decisions.

Wexford Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne says the erosion of the powers of local councillors has made them into "agents of administration". He's calling on the Government to allow regional authorities the right to make decisions in the areas of education, policing and transport. Senator Byrne says the move would strengthen local democracy: "Its part of a broader process, its not just by the way around in the department of housing an local government. It has to be a whole of Government approach about what decisions do we believe are best taken centrally by central Government and what decisions are taken by local Government. It does mean we have to look at the funding and revenue model."