asked the Minister for Local Government the time involved in the compilation of the recent White Paper on Local Government Reorganisation; and the cost thereof.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Government Reorganisation.
71.
The information requested by the Deputy is not available.
Studies on the reorganisation of local government have been going on for some time. Furthermore, consultations with the other Departments of State concerned are necessary before a final draft of a White Paper of this nature can be compiled. Accordingly, while it could be said that the preparation of the final version of the White Paper commenced only a matter of some months before publication, it would not be possible to pick a specific date to indicate when the compilation of the While Paper, taking that phrase in a broad meaning, commenced.
As to the cost of compiling the White Paper, it will be appreciated that it would be impracticable to estimate this. It would involve, for example, ascertaining the amount of time devoted to the work not alone by officers of my own Department but also by officers of all the other Departments concerned.
72.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state, in respect of the compilation of the White Paper on Local Government Reorganisation, whether consultations were held with members of local authorities and with representatives of the General Council of County Councils or of the County and City Managers' Association.
The answer is "No".
I would add that since the intention was that the White Paper should contain proposals, rather than final decisions, consultation in advance of publication would not have been appropriate. However, as the Deputy is aware, all interests concerned have been invited to submit constructive comments on the proposals and the White Paper itself states that these will be taken into account before final decisions are made.
Would the Minister agree that consultations between officials of his Department and representatives of local authorities should take place regularly, especially in relation to a document of this kind? Officers of his Department should confer with representatives of local authorities.
In regard to the White Paper I can only say that we have invited comments, criticisms and suggestions and these will be given serious consideration before final decisions are made in regard to the introduction of any legislation which may be necessary to implement new proposals. I do not see any other practical way in which we could have gone about this. What we have produced is a discussion document and the situation is very fluid.
According to our information this paper has taken four years to produce. Surely it could have been discussed with representatives of local authorities and there could have been general agreement on many points, which would be to the benefit of the Minister's Department and the local authorities if there had been such discussion.
The Deputy said "our information". I do not know who the "our" are. He said that the information available to him and others was that it took four years to compile the White Paper. I should like to know the source of that information because the only place we can find in which four years were mentioned was in an article in the Irish Times and we do not know from where they got their information on which to base such an assessment. Certainly it was not going on for four years except inasmuch as changes are always being discussed in a general kind of way within Departments and things emerge which are put aside for future reviewing and for future legislation when opportunities present themselves. As far as the White Paper was concerned it was really only in the last year that the real bones of the paper were got together. No work has been going on for four years on it as such. I look forward to the constructive suggestions which Deputy O'Sullivan will be sending me on the proposals in the White Paper.
73.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state, further to his previous reply concerning submissions by various representative organisations on the White Paper on Local Government Reorganisation, whether he has yet announced any final date for the receipt of such submissions.
As announced already, I have decided, in response to requests made by local authorities and other bodies, to extend the date by which interested parties were asked to submit comments on the proposals in the White Paper. The new date is 30th June, 1971. In all, therefore, a period of almost five months is now being allowed for the submission of comments on the proposals.
Is it the Minister's intention to publish a draft Bill immediately after this period?
The only indication I can give the Deputy is that I am anxious to proceed with whatever restructuring is decided on by the Government as quickly as possible. I must bear in mind that in the normal course of events local elections will be due in June, 1972, and if at all possible I would be anxious to have whatever changes are proposed introduced in legislation and enacted by the House to enable the local elections in 1972 to be held under a new structure, if a new structure is proposed. Beyond that I cannot comment.