Skip to main content
Normal View

Local Government Reform

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 October 2012

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Questions (56, 61, 64, 80, 91, 92, 98)

Seán Crowe

Question:

56. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the terms of reference for the special forum of elected members of the four local authorities in Dublin to consider the options for the elected Mayor of Dublin. [46077/12]

View answer

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

61. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the engagement and discussions that have taken place with relevant Departments to further devolve functions to local authorities; and the functions which will be devolved. [46076/12]

View answer

Sandra McLellan

Question:

64. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the ratio of councillors per head of population that will be deployed in municipal districts; and the ratio that will be for Cork city, Cork county, Galway city and in the four local authorities in Dublin. [46079/12]

View answer

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

80. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for towns that straddle county boundaries as set out in Putting People First; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46168/12]

View answer

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

91. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for strengthening the reserved functions of elected members; the timeframe for these changes to be implemented; and if legislation will be required. [46078/12]

View answer

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

92. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the functions that are being devolved from central government to local authorities (details supplied). [46075/12]

View answer

Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

98. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline the delegation of powers to local authorites in areas of environment, water, foreshore, local or community development, roads or traffic, housing and energy efficiency (details supplied) that will take place; the way this delegation will take place; and when it will take place. [46074/12]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 56, 61, 64, 80, 91, 92 and 98 together.

The questions tabled cover a range of issues related to the Action Programme for Effective Local Government: Putting People First which I published on 16 October 2012 following Government approval. This is available on my Department’s website www.environ.ie. The Action Programme sets out Government policy for reforms across all the main areas of local government including structures, functions, funding, operational arrangements, governance and the role of the executive and the elected council.

Strengthening the role of local government is at the core of the reform programme and Government policy in this regard is set out in the Action Programme with particular regard to three key areas, the operation of the local micro-enterprise support service through Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs); local authority oversight and planning of local and community development programmes; and an enhanced and clearer role in economic development. These decisions represent the most significant enhancement of the role of local government in many decades.

In addition, in the course of drawing up the reform programme, I requested Ministers to undertake an examination of functions and services in their areas of responsibility with a view to identifying further matters that could be devolved to local government. This process has identified a number of functions that are potentially suitable for devolution and initial proposals in this regard are detailed in the Action Programme. While the initial range of functions proposed for devolution by Departments is relatively limited, there will be further engagement with a view to identifying additional activities ahead of the development of legislation to implement reform measures. The scope to assign any additional functions to the new municipal district level will also be explored.

The proposals in the Action Programme regarding delegation of authority to local authorities in the areas of environment, water, foreshore, local or community development, roads or traffic, housing and energy efficiency, involve giving greater responsibility or discretion to local authorities in relation to various areas in which they already have a significant involvement and where there is scope for reducing the degree of central control. The particular changes involved will vary between the different areas and will be determined specifically in the course of implementation of the Programme.

The Action Programme also sets out a clear commitment that, in future, the functions of Government at local level will be performed through the local government system to the greatest possible extent and separate structures or organisations of public administration will not be established outside of the local government system unless, in exceptional circumstances, the need for this is clearly demonstrated. The Action Programme indicates that the establishment of an office of directly elected mayor for Dublin, with substantial powers, functions and budgetary capacity, would be likely to require significant changes in existing local government arrangements. The Government has decided, therefore, that a special forum or colloquium of the elected members of the Dublin local authorities should be convened to consider the options in this regard, including the introduction of a directly elected Mayor for a Dublin metropolitan area, which will be put for decision through a plebiscite in 2014. Terms of Reference for the forum will be published in due course.

Outside of Dublin, a radical restructuring of local government arrangements within counties has been approved by Government. This will involve a comprehensive territorial configuration of each county into municipal districts in which the elected members will perform a range of important local functions on a fully devolved basis. The districts will be designed, as far as possible, around existing municipal towns and large urban centres which do not currently enjoy municipal status. In all cases, the district should incorporate the relevant hinterland of each town, subject to the constraints imposed by county boundaries close to towns. I have made clear that the integrity and identity of counties will be maintained.

The Action Programme indicates that, in cases where the environs of a town are located in more than one county, suitable agency arrangements or service level agreements should be implemented to ensure that one authority has responsibility for all functions and services throughout the entire area of the town, notwithstanding county boundaries. It is, of course, also open to local authorities to initiate boundary alteration procedures under local government legislation, but there is no mandatory requirement in this regard under the reform programme.

Regarding representational ratios, the areas of municipal districts will be drawn up for the purposes of the 2014 local elections, on the basis of a review by an independent statutory boundary committee under the local government acts. The Action Programme provides indicative information regarding the sort of factors that will be relevant to the configuration of districts, including population, membership, location of towns, geographic coherence and local identities and linkages. Relevant criteria will be specified in the terms of reference for the review which will be published shortly.

In relation to the reserved functions of elected members, a number of new reserved functions are specified in the Action Programme, for example, the adoption of economic development plans, service plans, and local and community plans. In addition, the scope for further extension of the reserved functions of elected members of local authorities will be fully reviewed in the context of further development and implementation of the reform programme. In particular, the potential role of the elected council in relation to additional functions being devolved to local government will be maximised. Moreover, the primacy of the elected council within the local government system will be reinforced by various measures set out in the programme.

The relationship between manager and members will be changed to one of chief executive and “board of directors”, appropriate to a modern system of administration. Consideration will be given to providing stronger and more explicit statutory expression in relation to the duty of the manager/chief executive to comply with policy as set down by the elected council and to strengthen the capacity of the elected council to oversee the business, finances and performance of the authority. The manner in which local authority functions are stated and structured in law, including the default provision which grants the manager power to act unless powers are specifically assigned to members, will also be addressed.

Top
Share