I move: That the Bill be now read a Second Time.
The object of this Bill is to make provision for the future government of the City of Limerick on a plan similar to that which has been in operation for some years in Dublin, Cork and Dun Laoghaire. The Bill has been drafted at the request of the County Borough Council with whom the Department have been in close touch. In view of the precedents established by the Cork and Dublin Acts the Government felt justified in acceding to the wishes of the corporation by promoting this Bill as a public measure. I wish to make it quite clear at the outset that the Bill is not being imposed on a reluctant corporation. Before an official inquiry was held into the management of Limerick, the County Borough Council of their own accord expressed themselves in favour of the managerial system of city government, the consolidation of the rates, the overhaul of their services and the rating of vacant property, all of which have been adopted and embodied in this Bill.
In 1932, in compliance with the request of the improvement committee of the council an investigation was held by a general inspector into the powers, duties and obligations of the Limerick Corporation and the County Borough Board of Health. The inspector's report was transmitted to the corporation for their consideration towards the end of that year, and his recommendations were fully considered by the city council, who had, as I have already stated, expressed themselves in favour of reforms which were, in the main, those which the inspector subsequently recommended. Many of the inspector's recommendations can be carried out without new legislation, but the most important need legislative sanction, and it is in these circumstances that the corporation unanimously asked the Government and the Government have consented to promote this Bill. The new system of government proposed is that with which we are already fairly familiar. It is the system which associates a city manager with the elected council. The manager is given all the functions of the corporation other than those reserved to the council.
First, as to the council; the existing council consists of 40 members, including eight aldermen who are sent to the council by the electors of eight wards. It is proposed to reduce the council to 15 members, including four aldermen and to fix a quorum of seven. The wards will be abolished and the whole city will form one electoral area. In the reduction of the numbers of members and the extension of the electoral division, we are following the Cork precedent. The council will continue to elect a mayor to preside over their meetings and his duties and privileges will not be disturbed. The functions of the council are almost identical with those of the Dublin City Council—that is, they alone will have power to make the rate, borrow money, make by-laws, bring permissive Acts into force by resolution, promote legislation, appoint representatives on public bodies. They will also have power, subject to the usual provisions, to appoint, suspend or remove the manager. There is machinery by which the reserved powers can be extended by an Order of the Minister.
The City Manager will be appointed by the council on the recommendation of the Local Appointments Commissioners. He will also act as town clerk, that office being at present vacant. As some time may elapse before such an appointment could be made, a temporary manager can be nominated by the Minister to hold office pending the permanent appointment. The usual obligations will be laid on the manager with regard to furnishing information to the mayor, attending meetings, advising the council, planning works which the council wish to have executed, and controlling and supervising the staff. He will act by signed orders, of which a record will be kept. All the existing funds and rates, except the contract water rate, will be abolished, and a new consolidated fund, to be called the municipal fund, and a new consolidated rate, to be called the municipal rate, will be established. At present, Limerick has five rates—the improvement rate, the borough rate, water rate, general purposes rate, and poor rate. The incidence of each of the existing rates is not identical. The borough rate is assessable on the full value of all rateable property. The general purposes rate is not assessable on the whole valuation of arable land or meadow—one-third part only of the net value is taken. The incidence of the improvement rate is the same as that of the general purposes rate. In order to preserve the existing exemptions as nearly as possible, we propose a flat municipal rate on three-fifths of the valuation in the case of land and one-third of every half-rent, that is where the landlord is liable to pay poor rate on half the rent by reason of the property being exempt as being of a charitable or public nature.
In 1914 rates amounted to 11/2 in the £. As in other cities a marked upward movement set in in 1919-20 and in 1921-22 they were 27/2 in the £. Except in one year, 1922-23, they have remained above a pound since and last year were 31/10 including water rate. In connection with these high rates it must be remembered that property in Limerick has not been generally valued for a great many years and the rateable valuation is, therefore, on the low side, which has the effect of increasing the rate. This will be seen if we compare Limerick with Waterford, the county borough next in point of size. Limerick's population is 48 per cent greater than Waterford's but the valuation is not quite 8 per cent more, Waterford having been revalued about ten years ago. The high poundage rate must, therefore, be attributed in some degree to the obsolete valuation. Vacant premises will be rated as in Dublin—that is the rates will be assessed on the owner but the corporation will be given power to make a refund of half if the house cannot be let to a suitable tenant or is unoccupied for repairs or alterations.
Poor relief has been one of the principal factors in the increase of the rate. In this respect Limerick is in a peculiar and rather unfortunate position. When the old poor law unions were abolished the parts of Limerick Union that were in the counties of Limerick and Clare were separated from the city, which was left with a workhouse and staff much larger than it needed and the area of charge was restricted to the city. Limerick county, having once cut itself off from the city and provided its own institutions, is opposed to anything in the nature of a joint scheme. The matter has been at a deadlock for years and Limerick remains the only county borough which is not united with part of the adjoining county for poor relief purposes. This year the Government have taken over the relief of able-bodied persons, getting only a fixed contribution from certain towns. Limerick will benefit by this arrangement by a reduction in the charge for home assistance, the heaviest item in the poor relief budget.
The poor law authority in Limerick is called the Board of Health, which is composed wholly of members of the council. It is proposed to dissolve the body altogether and have its duties carried out by the City Manager. Limerick had experience a few years ago of the management of public assistance by a commissioner and no complaint was made during the inquiry of the manner in which the business was done. We may, therefore, confidently look to some improvement in the administration of poor relief when it is placed in the hands of an official who will have direct responsibility for it.
It is also proposed to abolish the Gas Committee set up under the Limerick Corporation Act, 1878, and the Tuberculosis Committee. In Limerick the gas undertaking is the property of the corporation. The inspector found the management and financial position of the undertaking far from satisfactory. The powers of the committee will be transferred to the corporation and will be exercised by the manager. We have not attempted to deal with the question of the extension of the city but the Bill provides machinery by which application by the corporation for extension can be examined and a provisional order obtained. Before such extension can take place, a local inquiry will have to be held and a provisional order made and confirmed by an Act. The position of the officers and servants of the corporation will remain unchanged except that they will be under the control and supervision of the manager.
Two sections have been inserted in the Bill dealing with the superannuation of employees who are not classed as officers. The first of these sections, No. 32, is designed to meet the cases of old employees who are past their labour and who cannot be pensioned under the law as it stands. Employees, if they have 20 years' service, are given the benefit of the provisions of Section 53 of the Local Government Act of 1925 and this power can be exercised within a period of two years or longer if the Minister, on the application of the corporation, extends the period. Section 33 deals with the superannuation of employees of the gas undertaking. For the purposes of the Local Government Act, 1925, as applied, employees of the gas undertaking will be allowed to reckon their period of employment as employment by the corporation.
The Bill is largely an adaptation of existing law to the circumstances of Limerick. It contains no novel principle, and so far as it goes we believe it will meet with the approbation of the corporation, and I hope on that ground it will commend itself to the Dáil.
