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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 3 Feb 1977

Vol. 296 No. 6

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Community Services Centres.

28.

asked the Minister for Local Government if he proposes to introduce legislation to enable local authorities to assist financially community services centres.

Under existing legislation county councils and county borough corporations have power to declare a body concerned with furthering the general social and economic interests of their inhabitants to be an approved local council. Such local authorities may then assist local councils thus approved by providing them with land or buildings or by giving them financial assistance by way of a repayable or non-repayable grant. The question of extending this power to other local authorities is being considered in the context of the general Local Government Bill at present being prepared in my Department.

Is the Minister aware that Louth County Council have voted money to assist in the excellent work being carried out by the communities services centres in Drogheda and Dundalk. I understand they are unable to pay this money unless a change is made in the legislation. I think the Minister will agree the work being done in these centres is exceptional. If he finds it is necessary to change the legislation will he do so?

This is a specific case which has not got much to do with the question asked by Deputy Faulkner. The social committees he is talking about are within the area of another local authority. I had some discussions recently on this matter. The Drogheda town clerk wrote to the Department in December last stating that the corporation were anxious to make a contribution towards the centre and, in the absence of any enabling legislation, requesting the Minister's authority to do so. There is no statutory authority whereby the local authority could make such a contribution and it would not be possible for me to sanction it. There is no legislation which allows it. Louth County Council also wrote to the Department in December seeking confirmation of the fact that they were not empowered to contribute either towards the Drogheda or Dundalk social services committees. While a county council can do it in their own area, urban councils or corporations cannot do it because there is no legislation to allow them to do it. I share Deputy Faulkner's desire to have something done about this and I propose to do something in the legislation which is being prepared. Through nobody's fault it is not legally possible to do what they want to do.

The Minister said there was no connection between my supplementary and my question. I asked in the question if he proposes to introduce legislation to enable local authorities to assist financially community services centres.

I said in my reply that I was preparing to do this in the new legislation. I should like to make it clear to Deputy Faulkner and to anybody else who is interested that the problem is that urban councils or corporations have no such authority. I propose to introduce legislation to allow local authorities to do that.

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