Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 February 2005
267 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the nature of his Department’s contact with regional authorities; his views on whether the structure of these authorities is working well and offering value for money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4016/05]
View answerMy Department is in regular contact, at both designated local authority manager and director levels, with regional authorities in relation to their role in the co-ordination of public services at regional level. The preparation of regional planning guidelines under the national spatial strategy has also involved close and ongoing contact by my Department with all of the regional authorities.
My Department was represented, along with other relevant interests, on the steering committees chaired by the regional authorities which oversaw the preparation of the regional planning guidelines. This close co-operation will continue as the regional planning guidelines are implemented over the coming years. As part of this process, officials of my Department meet regularly with a national committee which comprises the directors of the regional authorities along with the designated local authority managers for each region. Before drafting the guidelines, the authorities, in line with guidance issued by my Department, prepared regional strategies for the economic, social and cultural development of their regions as a whole, which inter alia informed the regional planning guidelines process.
My Department also facilitated the establishment of an Irish Regions Office in Brussels and provides assistance and support to the members of the Irish delegation to the committee of the regions who are also members of the regional authorities. Regional authorities play a role as regional partners in support of the implementation of development programmes funded by European Structural Funds. The regional authorities are assisted in this and other functions by senior officers of the local authorities and State agencies in their regions and representatives of Government Departments.
In light of the important contribution of the regional authorities to regional development in Ireland, I have no proposals to amend their structure.
