RTE Investigates viewers were all saying the same things after the programme unearthed the serious levels of corruption within Irish County Councils.
The programme explained how local authorities spend over €5 billion a year and have a huge range of responsibilities, but they are subject to very little external oversight.
Dr Fiona Donson, School of Law, UCC, said: "The amount of power that local authorities have, things like planning, things like, you know, housing lists. Those decisions are incredibly significant in terms of day-to-day life, and they need to be made, those decisions need to be made lawfully, and appropriately and transparently."
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RTE Investigated reflected on the Mahon Tribunal, which promised to bring swift reform after its publication ten years ago. However, the programme examined the work of council chambers across the country to see what has changed.
John Devitt, CEO Transparency International Ireland, said: "It's called local government, but it doesn't mean that it's any less important than national government. And for that reason, public have to have confidence that it's being managed and overseen as it ought to be."
RTE admitted it was hard to find out what happens inside councils, as they are outside oversight bodies like the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee.
The Local Government Act was introduced after the Mahon Tribunal was supposed to provide for independent inspections.
However, after the tribunals of the 1990s, the Act introduced the idea of a "public local inquiry" run by an inspector appointed by the Minister.
When Kildare Councillor Fiona McLoughlin Healy asked for such an inquiry, she exposed a legal flaw impacting the entire local government sector.
Twenty years after the Oireachtas passed the Local Government Act, the commencement order allowing public inquiries into councils has not been signed.
Cllr Fiona McLoughlin Healy said: "I actually just assumed, having read the section, that there must have been other public local inquiries. So I was really quite taken aback to find out that it hadn't been commenced. I asked the Minister when was he considering to commence it? You know 'cause you're you're hoping: ah maybe that he just needs a reminder. And that successive ministers just needed a reminder."
Last year, Minister of State Petre Burke responded to Councillor McLoughlin Healy to confirm that the Act has not been commenced, and there are no current plans to do so.
Councillor McLoughlin Healy said: "There's a determination there not to commence it. And really, you have to ask the question, why?"
The Department told RTE Investigates the Act was not commenced due to concerns about costs, potential court challenges, and the prospect that it may lead to a minister removing councillors from office if they did not perform effectively.
Mr Devitt said: "If the Minister isn't going to commence that particular section of the act, we need new legislation."
People were left outraged after the programme.
Taking to Twitter, one person said: "I have never been so angry watching television as tonight watching".
A second wrote: "Nice to know that corruption is just as rife in local government as it is in national government, heartwarming really".
While Green Party Councillor Hazel Chu said: "tonight shows very clearly why we desperately need local government reform.
"If you don't like what Councillors do you can unelect us, you can't unelect a city or county manager. Local government reform means greater transparency and better accountability."
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