Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 11 Feb 1999

Vol. 500 No. 3

Adjournment Debate. - Local Government Reform.

Dr. Upton

I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Cullen, for coming here to respond to this debate.

It is timely to review the effectiveness of local government in the city and county of Dublin given that it is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of local government and that almost 50 years have passed since the basic framework for local government, the City and County Managers Act, came into effect. At that time Dublin was a relatively small city contained within the two canals. However, it is now a major European capital. It needs a modern system of local government appropriate to a city with a population in excess of one million. Without a proper responsive system of government, Dublin's problems will continue to dominate the political agenda.

An elected lord mayor would have to present a policy platform relevant to the needs of the capital as part of his or her election programme. That does not happen at present. A publicly elected lord mayor would have a mandate to tackle the city's problems which the present lord mayor does not have. If a lord mayor was in office for a five year term, he would have a reasonable chance of making progress on implementing his election programme. That does not happen at present.

The housing crisis, traffic gridlock and planning incoherence will continue to dominate Dublin's political agenda unless there is a fundamental change in local government in Dublin. An identification of the problems besetting the capital will be futile unless an effective mechanism to deal with them is established.

International experience shows that an elected lord mayor with real power and responsibility for policy to develop the capital is the best means for the development of a modern, progressive city that is worthy of the citizens of Dublin.

The elected mayor should have responsibility to a greater Dublin council which would also be elected by the public. A publicly elected lord mayor and city council is the best way to provide a framework to replace the capital's local government structure as set out in the 1955 Act. This Act is grotesquely offensive to the citizens of Dublin. It embodies the assumption that the people of Dublin cannot be trusted to elect their own lord mayor and city council to provide leadership for the city and to be responsible for its implementation.

At present, real power rests in the Department of the Environment and Local Government and in an unelected bureaucracy of four local authorities which control the local government of the city. It is ridiculous that issues, such as housing, planning and traffic in the greater Dublin area, are dealt with in an incoherent and piecemeal manner by four independent councils instead of one metropolitan council with a lord mayor who would have an overview of what the entire city requires. It is ridiculous that one side of a road, such as Cromwellsfort Road or Kimmage Road, is in Dublin Corporation's area, while the other side is in the county council area. The people of those communities go to the same churches and engage in the same activities, yet they are in two different areas.

The message from cities such as Barcelona and New York is that elected lord mayors can get things done, reform infrastructure and greatly improve the lives of the citizens. For example, the Lord Mayor of New York is on top of the ball. He deals with the citizens' concerns as they appear on a daily basis. Barcelona is a wonderful European city which is primarily influenced by the work of its lord mayor who has been in office for a long time. Municipal Government is central to the standard of living of the one million people who live in the capital. It determines the effectiveness of the infrastructure such as transport, the standard of the environment in matters such as litter prevention and is hugely influential on the quality of life of those who depend on the local authority to provide them with the basic necessities, such as housing provision as well as in the maintenance of the housing stock. The time has come to treat the people of Dublin as citizens of a wonderful old city who are capable of taking responsibility for the control of Ireland's capital. I know there are people in the political system who fear that an election would lead to somebody outside the political class being elected lord mayor. If that is the public choice, so be it.

Mr. Cullen

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter on the Adjournment. My colleague, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey, is unable to be in the House to respond and has asked me to do so on his behalf.

Local government reform is happening now. The wide range of measures in train form a coherent programme underpinned by the following principles: implementation of a proper funding system and efficient delivery of quality ser vices; development of local authority decision making along partnership lines; widening the role of local government and enhancement of the role of the democratically elected member.

On the financial side, the new local government fund established by the Local Government Act, 1998, is in operation. This fund provides a secure income source for local government, comprising the proceeds of motor tax and a guaranteed amount from the Exchequer, which must take account of increases in local authority costs and any additional functions. A range of other initiatives to promote the efficiency agenda is under way. A new financial management system is being developed which will bring local authorities in line with private sector practice and improve flows of information to all concerned. A needs and resource study to determine equitable distribution of the local government fund among authorities is also under way.

Capital investment in roads, water supply and sewage treatment is at an all time high in 1999. The 1999 provisions for local authority housing will bring the local authority housing programme to its highest level since 1986. Dublin Corporation, being the largest local authority in the country, is a major beneficiary of this increased investment.

Partnership is becoming a reality in local government through the strategic policy committees which involve sectoral interests and through the work of the task force on local government and local development. Implementation of the task force report will bring local government and local development closer together. It will also provide local government, via the proposed county development board, with a strategic focus to bring together the various public sector agencies and social partners active in their area to articulate a common strategy for their city or county. Implementation of this renewal programme will not take place without the dedication and commitment of both local authority staff and elected members. The whole area of human resource management is being reviewed along with training and information support for councillors to ensure the system can meet a challenging agenda of change.

A local government Bill is being prepared to underpin the renewal programme and to modernise and consolidate local government law. It will provide a sound and modern context for local authorities to deliver their services efficiently. The position of the cathaoirleach of a local authority is under consideration in the context of this legislation. Under present law she or he, and to date it is usually he, as many Members would regret, is elected annually by the members of the local authority concerned. In practice this has meant a one year term of office for the post. Almost by definition such an annual turnover is unlikely to enhance democratic leadership and responsibility. Among the options being considered to enhance the democratic mandate are the election of the cathaoirleach directly by the people or a continuation of the present system but with a longer term than one year. Both options would see a non executive cathaoirleach within the general council-executive model. A cathaoirleach who would be in a far better position to provide leadership underpinned by an enhanced democratic mandate and supported by the SPC chairs. The legislation to be published later this year will set out the proposed arrangements as well as other measures to underline the distinctive status of local authority membership.

The Deputy referred to ward councils. Many local authorities are now moving towards a more developed form of local area presence, with local area offices for council services and in some cases public services by other agencies also provided from the same location. This serves to bring local government closer to its customers and to improve public service delivery generally on the one stop shop principle. The Department of the Environment and Local Government will be allocating £6 million as a contribution to local authorities who are reaching out to their customers in this way.

Local authorities are in effect decentralising their services supported by area committees of the council with greater potential for community engagement. While the Department of the Environment and Local Government has actively encouraged these developments, it is primarily a matter for local authorities to reorganise themselves in this way. I understand Dublin Corporation is moving in this direction and is implementing a major programme to modernise and improve its services. It has set up major area offices in both Ballymun and Ballyfermot which are aimed towards a more integrated customer oriented delivery of service to the public. These offices are having a positive impact on customer service enabling people to identify more closely with their local authority and to access services more easily.

I have referred briefly to some of the measures in progress as part of the local government renewal programme. The local government Bill to be published later this year will provide a fuller opportunity to discuss the many issues arising including those raised by Deputy Upton this evening.