Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 December 2004
94 Mr. J. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has conducted an audit to check, following the ending of the dual mandate, the responsiveness of local authorities to requests and responses from Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas; and his proposals in this regard. [32611/04]
View answerFrom the commencement of the single mandate for elective local government, local authorities were required to make specific arrangements to provide a reasonable level of service for Oireachtas Members and facilitate them in carrying out their work on behalf of local communities. Statutory regulations have been made in this connection. Copies of these regulations in the Local Government Act 2001 (Section 237A) Regulations 2003 and an information note are available in the Oireachtas Library.
The regulations provide, inter alia, for the supply of specified documentation to Oireachtas Members by the local authority and in this context a parliamentary representative may notify a local authority of his or her postal or electronic address. Systems, procedures and timeframes equivalent to those used for correspondence from local authority members also apply to Members of the Oireachtas. Similarly, where there are arrangements for electronic access to information by councillors, these should be made available to Members. Managers are required to meet at least annually with Members to provide them an opportunity for an update on developments and to allow them raise any difficulties encountered. This is additional to normal and regular contacts between public representatives and local authority officials regarding particular problems or issues.
As these arrangements have been introduced relatively recently, an audit has not been carried out. The operation of the arrangements will be kept under review with a view to any necessary amendment of current guidance on these matters. In the meantime, I expect authorities to facilitate parliamentary representatives, in the spirit and the letter of the regulations, in the timely provision of local authority documentation.
