I move:
That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to compel local authorities to provide members of the public and public representatives with substantive replies to written communications within a prescribed period of time and to allow for local authority chief executives to appear before the Public Accounts Committee of Dáil Éireann.
In introducing this Bill, I wish to put on record my appreciation for local authority staff, particularly those in Longford-Westmeath, with whom I deal frequently, and for other staff across the public service. While the Bill primarily deals with local authority reforms, there have been countless examples of exemplary work in the public service, especially during the response to Covid. That Westmeath County Council won the bid for hosting the all-Ireland fleadh and ran it in 2022 showed the critical role that local authorities play in our communities.
In my 19 years as a public representative - seven at local level and 12 at national level - I have worked with officials who were capable, dedicated and hard working. They would take calls on weekdays and at weekends, day or night. They made and implemented decisions. This is the case in the vast majority of local authorities across the island. However, we would be doing a disservice to hard-working officials and the public who rely on the services provided if we did not call out and highlight the minority in our public service who are operating below par, do not make decisions, do not return calls and do not respond to constituents' queries.
This Bill is designed to bring about a minor reform of the application of public administration to ensure we foster more transparency and accountability. There is an old saying "What gets measured, gets done". If a local authority has to reply to a constituent within a specified time, it is much likelier that a decision will be made in a timely fashion and the constituent's problem will be resolved. We cannot let a situation continue where members of the public wait an unacceptable amount of time for local authority officials to revert to them, address their queries and rectify their problems.
Under the Bill, a member of the public or a public representative must receive written acknowledgement of a written request within five days of receiving it, with a substantive reply required 15 days later. I am including public representatives because many politicians from various parties will not contest the next local elections over their frustrations with their inability to get answers from their local authorities, which hampers their ability to work for their constituents. The Bill's provisions set out legitimate reasons for local authorities to refuse to give substantive replies. If a local authority fails to provide a substantive reply, a member of the public or a public representative may make a complaint in writing to the Ombudsman.
The final section of the Bill relates to the chief executive officers of local authorities. They have significant responsibilities and powers. They are responsible for large budgets and for ensuring necessary amenities and infrastructure are put in place within their respective areas. Section 5 gives the Committee of Public Accounts the power to compel CEOs to appear before it regarding financial procedures and audits to ensure money is well spent, we get value for money and, where an underspend is returned to the Exchequer, there is an explanation for that underspend and for the necessary infrastructure not being in place.
We have much to be proud of in our public service and it has stood the test of time over the decades, but reform is needed. We need to consider reforming our public service so that it better reflects the society we live in and there is a better appreciation of private industry, but I will revert to that at a later stage. This small proposal will reform our local authorities to ensure they are fit for purpose and the public they serve can expect timely answers.
