On behalf of the committee I welcome Mr. Radko Martíinek, chairman of the committee on local government, regional development and environment, of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, and his delegation. Some members of this committee have had the pleasure of meeting him in more informal circumstances. I invite Mr. Martíinek to outline the reasons for the committee's visit to Ireland.
Delegation from the Czech Republic: Presentation.
Mr. Radko Martíinek
It is a great pleasure and honour for me to visit this parliamentary committee. I wish to introduce the members of our delegation and, with your permission, I will give a brief outline of the work of our committee which should explain the reasons for our visit to Ireland.
Our committee is a committee of the Czech Parliament and has a broad range of responsibilities. Our competencies and responsibilities mirror the powers of five Government Departments. It includes all the issues for which the Ministry of the Environment is responsible, including the environmental fund; all competencies pertaining to the Ministry for Regional Development, including the housing fund; that part of our responsibilities of the Ministry of the Interior which pertain to reform of public administration. We also mirror all the responsibilities of the newly established Ministry for Information Technology and that part of the responsibilities of the Ministry of Finance which is connected with public funding, such as the regional and municipal government units.
We had several reasons for visiting Ireland but primarily to hear about Ireland's experience as an EU member country. We are interested in hearing about Ireland's specific experience in connection with structural funding and the overall industrial and agricultural development as an EU member. We have heard there is a reform of public administration under way here and we would like to hear more about the relationship between self-government and the State administration bodies and Ireland's experience of decentralisation. This is a broad scope of issues for our discussion today.
I repeat what I have already said in a more informal setting at lunch. On behalf of the House of Representatives of the Czech Parliament, on behalf of our committee and the Czech Republic, I thank you very much for your commitment and the great efforts you made prior to the referendum in Ireland.
We understand that accession of new countries to the European Union may also pose a problem for Ireland and, therefore, we very much appreciate your attitude to it. We were greatly impressed by your arguments in the run-up to the referendum. Since Ireland has been able to benefit from help from the European Union for its industrial development, now it is its duty to make the same help available to newcomers. We have been greatly impressed by the response of the Irish people to this argument. I am convinced that the Czech Republic will be able to help Ireland in return and repay our indebtedness.
I welcome the representatives from the Czech Parliament. I hope our exchanges will be very fruitful and that they find their visit informative and enjoyable.
The forthcoming accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union comes at a time when small countries like ours, which have lived in the shadows of bigger powers, must be fearful of the new world order as has been prescribed by the United States. As a small country, we do not fear the accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union even though this will pose new challenges for us. Enlargement as agreed by the Irish people some time ago means the European Union will be stronger and in a position to compete with the bigger powers such as the South Pacific nations and the United States. We will both come out of the accession as stronger countries.
As two small nations we face similar problems, some of which we discussed informally over lunch. One of those is the balancing of economic development with environmental protection. We both seem to be struggling with the same issues, especially in the area of waste management.
Ireland is going through a process of local government reform, as is the Czech Republic. We hope this process eventually will make the Parliament more meaningful and the local authorities more effective. Our contacts will be mutually beneficial.
Structural funding was mentioned by the delegation's chairman. We have been net beneficiaries of structural funding over the years and, as the delegation has seen, we have developed our infrastructure from a very primitive stage to a reasonable, if not yet quite perfect level. The only advice I would be impertinent enough to offer is to make sure each project embarked on is based on value for money and beneficial to the Czech people. I again welcome the delegation and look forward to the dialogue.
I welcome the delegation to Ireland. It is great to have our friends from eastern Europe who will soon be neighbours when the Czech Republic accedes to the European Union.
I would like to talk about local government and decentralisation. Local government receives much of its funding from central government in Ireland. While there have been some reforms, local government is quite weak. There are plans for decentralisation but, in the Irish context, that usually means that central government jobs move away from Dublin. It does not mean that local authorities become stronger.
On the issue of capital funding my advice is to get the regional balance correct. At present, we are trying to create jobs away from Dublin. Many people feel we should have used capital funding to provide greater support for the peripheral areas of the country. My advice is to try to strike a balance between the different areas of the Czech Republic when looking for capital funding from the European Union. I again welcome the delegation and thank our guests for attending this meeting.
I also welcome the delegation from the Czech Republic to this meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment and Local Government.
I am familiar with the Czech Republic, as it is a country I have visited on a number of occasions. I have visited Slovakia, which was part of the former Czechoslovakia, on seven or eight occasions. As secretary of the Local Authority Members Association, a body which represents locally elected representatives throughout Ireland, I had the honour of hosting a conference in Slovakia on three occasions. I gave a presentation on the roles, structures and functions of local government in Ireland, which the people of Slovakia found very informative. I sent on several papers afterwards.
I found the infrastructure in the Czech Republic to be exceptional during my visits. The fact that the railways, etc., are in very good condition will be a great advantage for the Czech Republic as it joins the EU. I also found the people of the Czech Republic to be very friendly and to have great respect for the environment, culture and heritage of their country. I hope the low cost of living there can be maintained, although I doubt it. It will change in the not too distant future. I was most impressed by the manner in which elderly people are looked after in the Czech Republic. They seem to remain involved in society well into old age and they have a great interest in local and national events. Most politicians in Slovakia are quite young and seem very interested in Irish affairs. They were impressed by the Irish proportional representation system of electing public representatives.
I hope the delegation enjoys its visit to Ireland. I plan to visit Prague with an Irish delegation in July and October of this year.
I would also like to be associated with the welcome to the Czech delegation. I missed lunch, unfortunately, due to a previous engagement, but I believe it was a very sociable occasion. As Mr. Martíinek pointed out in his opening remarks, the people of Ireland learned quite an amount about countries like the Czech Republic during the Nice treaty referendum campaign. The similarities between our countries are strengths that can be built on. I agree with Deputy Allen that neither country has anything to fear from the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU. It came across clearly during the referendum campaign that Irish people consider the accession of countries like the Czech Republic as an opportunity. The delegation will find that to be the way we look at it. I welcome the members of the delegation and I wish them well during their visit.
Perhaps the Chairperson, or some other members of the delegation, would like to respond.
Mr. Martíinek
I assure the committee that although my delegation's time in this country is rather limited and its programme is very busy, we have already developed a great impression of Ireland. I would like to invite the Chairman and members of the committee to visit us in the Czech Republic so that we can return the hospitality we have enjoyed.
Before I allow my colleagues to ask questions, I would like to put one or two questions to the committee, based on the discussion we had yesterday with the Minister for the Environment and Local Government about public administration reform and the environment. We were told that Ireland has introduced a system of standards for services provided at national and local level. We would like to hear more about that from the perspective of Deputies and Senators. Do they think the system functions well?
We have been able to see a little of Dublin's infrastructure and there is certainly much to be developed in this area. Transport infrastructure is also a great problem in the Czech Republic. We ask for members' views concerning the measures which should be adopted and we would like to know what legislation is being drafted. What is being done overall to speed up the process of infrastructural development for the benefit of the people and of nature? With the permission of the Chair, I ask my colleagues to put their questions to the committee.
During his first question, Mr. Martíinek mentioned standards for services.
Mr. Martíinek
During discussions yesterday, the two main issues mentioned were public administration reform and the environment. We understand that there is a system of standards which has been introduced in areas within the scope of the responsibilities of individual local government authorities. These standards are used to determine the extent and manner of service provision within particular geographical areas. For example, services considered are those which relate to the care of the elderly and the disabled. All this was mentioned in association with the opportunities and responsibilities local government units have built at county and regional level.
Mr. Tomás Kvapil
I greet my distinguished Irish colleagues. My question is quite specific, but I will first describe the position in the Czech Republic for the committee.
We have an unemployment rate of about 10%, which might not seem particularly high at first sight. However, it must be viewed in the context of full employment previous to 1989. It is a problem for our citizens and there are significant regional differences. The unemployment rate in Prague is less than 3%, but in some of the more peripheral regions it runs as high as 20% to 23%. To address this problem, the Czech Parliament adopted in 1999 a system of investment incentives. The State provides support to municipalities to allow them to create appropriate conditions which are conducive to domestic and foreign investment. Provided they create a certain number of jobs, new investors are guaranteed beneficial corporate tax treatment.
Yesterday, we heard that most of the investment in Ireland comes from the United States of America. I wish to know, therefore, if Ireland has a system through which it attracts foreign investors.
Ms Zdenka Horníiková
I greet all members of the committee, whom I thank very much for the cordial reception we have received in this Parliament.
My question relates to Czech accession to the European Union. With Mr. Martíinek, the chairman of the committee, we visited Spain some two years ago. Although it has been a member state of the EU for some time, it has not yet closed some of the chapters which are supposed to be closed prior to accession. Has Ireland managed to close all the chapters vis-à-vis the European Union or are there outstanding or open chapters?
Ms Marta Bayerová
I cordially greet the committee, even if it is the fourth greeting in a row. Both yesterday and today, we have been hearing a great deal about the reform and decentralisation of public administration. What feedback channels are in place to ascertain the effectiveness of the measures undertaken, including the delegation of powers to other levels of government?
I thank the members of the delegation for their contributions. I will ask some of my colleagues to reply to their questions.
While we may not have reached the level of other European countries in terms of transport infrastructure, we have invested a significant amount of funding in improving our infrastructure. We have encountered a number of problems regarding traffic volumes probably due to our relatively recent economic success. This is an area in which the thrust of Government policy has been to encourage the use of public transport. We have invested heavily to improve our transport and roads infrastructure and have taken advantage of the funding available through the European Union for this purpose.
A number of major projects are under way throughout the country, particularly in Dublin City, which we hope will come to fruition relatively soon. It is felt that this area will require ongoing investment. We are endeavouring to bring our infrastructure up to a certain standard. While I am not familiar with the infrastructure of the Czech Republic, I have seen standards in other European countries. We aspire to attain similar levels. When the Czech Republic enters the European Union, it should take advantage, as we have, of the substantial funding available in this area, particularly for transport infrastructure.
We were asked about compliance with European standards.
Interpreter to the Delegation
The question was on Irish standards.
That was an earlier question about which I am still not clear. Standards are set by the European Union in what are known as directives. In general, our compliance with EU directives is reasonably good. We have many new sewage plants, better air quality and we comply with directives in other areas.
My colleague discussed transportation investment. My concern is that most of this - some 80% - is spent on road construction. It is important to invest in public transportation. I am aware that the transportation system of the Czech Republic is good. It is very important to maintain current standards, even as car ownership rises, otherwise there will be traffic problems such as those that exist in Dublin.
It is important to have good planning. This is difficult advice to give to a delegation from a country which had a long period of left-wing, communist government. However, it is important the Czech Republic draws up clear plans for using capital funding it may receive from the European Union. We have five year plans for the development of our infrastructure and recently produced a national spatial strategy. Traditionally, Ireland has not been good at producing clear plans and programmes. However, the prospect of funding from the European Union helped us plan ahead in a clear manner for five year periods. Getting the balance is not easy and that is for Mr. Martíinek to decide.
The Czech system of local or regional government is administered differently to ours. We have county identity here, which is very traditional in nature. It is three or four centuries since the county structure or system was set up. It involves a sense of belonging to the county from which one comes, which is evident in sport, for example. We take great pride in our county structure and our local authority system is administered from a county level.
A successful county presents a face to the country and to the world. We prefer a county strategy plan, known as the county development plan, which operates on a five year basis. In the plan, we provide for all kinds of development that would improve the quality of our environment and we provide for industry. It is important that we have a plan in place and a well-developed infrastructure attracts industry to our country.
One of the hottest topics for debate at local authority meetings at present concerns their future funding. We have the option to return to property rates for all, additional service charges and a local tax. This latter tax exists in America and other European countries, but not here.
Unfortunately, due to time constraints and other business with which we must deal today, we will have to bring our discussion to a close. I thank Mr. Martíinek and the rest of the delegates for attending, for their contributions and for the kind invitation to the committee to visit the Czech Republic. We will be more than happy to take up the offer at some stage. I appreciate that the delegates have other meetings scheduled for today and hope that the remainder of their stay in Ireland is enjoyable and that they find the trip beneficial to all.
Mr. Martíinek
I thank the Chairman and the other members of the committee for finding time to meet our delegation. I wish the committee every success in its endeavours because, in our country, the kind of work it carries out is not always received with gratitude. Nevertheless, it is very necessary. I am very pleased that the Chairman has accepted our invitation to the committee to visit the Czech Republic and I certainly look forward to meeting him there.
The committee can fly via Cork.
Sitting suspended at 3.35 p.m. and resumed at 3.40 p.m.