Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 May 2013
144. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas the latest report and accounts of the Local Government Management Agency; if he will confirm his Department’s funding of the LGMA in each of 2011 and 2012; and if he will confirm the fees paid to the board members and chief executive officer in each of 2011 and 2012. [21648/13]
View answerAs part of my Department’s agency rationalisation programme the Local Government Management Services Board (LGMSB) and the Local Government Computer Services Board (LGCSB) were merged into the Local Government Management Agency which was formally established in August 2012. In addition, An Chomhairle Leabharlanna was dissolved and key residual functions were also subsumed into the Agency.
The final audited financial accounts of the LGCSB, for the period 1 January 2011 to 31 August 2012 and the LGMSB for the periods 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011 and 1 January 2012 to 31 August 2012 will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas shortly.
The LGMA is funded by way of a levy on county and city councils , as were the LGMSB and the LGCSB. My Department provide some funding to the LGMA to support specific initiatives in the local government sector. In this regard, my Department provided €660,000 in 2011 towards educational initiatives in the area of Business Administration for local authority staff. In 2012, my Department provided €157,982 to support partnership in the sector, €12,877 towards the Public Lending Remuneration Scheme for authors in Public Libraries and €72,768.28 as a contribution to the establishment of the Libraries Development Unit.
All Board members of the former Boards of the LGMSB and the LGCSB and the current Board of the LGMA are public servants and no fees are payable. An annual salary of €153,885 was paid to the Chief Executive for 2011 and 2012.
