Vol. 522 No. 2
291 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if it is his policy to abolish the city-county planning officer in the Dublin and Cork local authorities and to replace the post by a director of services - planning and development - position which does not require a professional qualification; if so, the rationale of this approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17947/00]
Proposals are being finalised for the creation of strengthened local authority management structures to meet the demands of the introduction of a programme based system of administration and the abolition of the dual structure. Under these proposals, the posts of assistant county manager and county engineer will cease to exist. A new grade of director of services will be created at assistant county manager level and a number of these new posts will be filled by designation of the serving assistant managers and county engineers as directors of services. Each director of services will have responsibility for the management of all of the staff, both technical and administrative, dealing with the functions assigned to him or her. The position regarding all other posts will be a matter for consideration by individual managers in consultation with their own staff during local discussions on the implementation of the new structures. However, I understand that proposals currently under discussion in the Dublin county councils and Cork corporation involve the suppression of the county and city planning officer posts in favour of the creation of director of services posts with the wider management remit. The new structures proposed will not result in any diminution in the level or quality of the planning advice available to local authorities. Under the new arrangements, the planning function will be headed up by a director of service at management level who will oversee both the technical and administrative staff. The new structures will have adequate numbers of senior planning staff to deal with technical matters.
