Vol. 439 No. 5
103 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for the Environment the reason Carrick-on-Shannon, the county town of County Leitrim, or any other town in County Leitrim has not got an Urban District Council in view of the fact that in nearby County Monaghan the towns of Ballybay, Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Clones and Monaghan have local authorities separate from the county council; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Under legislation which dates from the last century, an urban district council could only be constituted in a town having town commissioners which in turn can only be established in towns with a population of at least 1,500 following from an application by local government electors in the area. At the 1991 census, one town in County Leitrim, Carrick-on-Shannon, had a population over 1,500. I cannot say why an application for town commissioner status was not made in respect of Carrick-on-Shannon.
On the question of town local government generally, I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 4 etc. of 9 February, 1994 concerning local government reorganisation at sub-county level and to the statement issued by me on this matter on 27 January, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas library.
