Finian McGrath
Question:228 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the total cost to the Exchequer of paying to end the dual mandate. [5760/03]
Written Answers - Local Government Reforms.
The Local Government Bill 2003 provides for the ending of dual parliamentary-local authority membership from the next local elections in 2004. There will be indirect costs for local authorities arising from the replacement of Oireachtas councillors, who did not qualify for representational payment (RP), by new councillors who will qualify for RP. The RP cost will vary as between different local authorities but overall would be in the region of €1.6 million per annum on the departure of all Oireachtas councillors.
Apart from the provisions of the 2003 Bill, existing regulations already provide that all county and city councillors qualify, subject to the terms of the scheme, for a gratuity amounting to about €7,800 on retirement in June 2004, whether voluntarily or otherwise. This amount will now be made available to Oireachtas councillors who retire between 4 May and 30 June 2003 together with an additional retirement gratuity of €5,000 in recognition of their departure from the local government service. The cost of the additional gratuity would amount to about €600,000 if all Oireachtas councillors were to retire within that period.