Local Authorities Management

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 November 2013

Thursday, 14 November 2013

Questions (116, 117, 125, 126)

Clare Daly

Question:

116. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the north west assistant general secretary of the IMPACT trade union which represents the majority of staff in the Sligo local authorities said last week that the appointment of a new Sligo County Manager provides the incumbent with an opportunity to reconnect with council staff and the citizens of Sligo; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the union states that it will be encouraging a more open and inclusive style of management; if he will take steps to encourage the management team in Sligo County Council to become more open and inclusive in its style of management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48647/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

117. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 11 of the 12 serving councillors on Sligo Borough Council boycotted the retirement function for the outgoing Sligo County Manager; if an official from his Department represented the Department at the function; if he will identify the official who represented his Department; the purpose of his Department representative attending the function; the total costs incurred by his Department in respect of salary, overtime payment, travel and subsistence and so on for the said official; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48648/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

125. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the only member of council staff obliged to attend a statutory meeting of a local authority is a county-city manager who designates themselves meetings administrator; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the formal calling of a council meeting must be done by notice from a meetings administrator; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that on a number of occasions when the Sligo County Manager wanted meetings of Sligo Borough Council to take place he designated himself as meetings administrator and issued notice for meetings in accordance with the Local Government Act 2001; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that on occasions when the County Manager did not want meetings of the borough council to take place he designated another official who refused to carry out the duties of meetings administrator; if regulations can be introduced to ensure that a county manager carries out his-her statutory duties in respect of the calling of meetings of a local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48722/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

126. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of meetings with his Department officials, a person (details supplied), the outgoing Chairperson of the County and City Managers Association, participated in; the dates of the said meetings; the purpose of each meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48723/13]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

I propose to take Questions Nos. 116, 117, 125 and 126 together.

I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 681 and 706 of 5 November 2013, which sets out the position in relation to arrangements for meetings of local authorities. I have no function in the assignment of duties with in a local authority as this , along with the broader management of the local authority, is a matter for each County/City Manager concerned.

I have no function in relation to the decisions of local authority elected members as regards whether or not to attend retirement events.

As is usual in the case of events to mark the retirement of a County Manager, my Department was represented at the function to mark the retirement of the Sligo County Manager, Mr . Hubert Kearns on 1 November 2013. On that occasion, my Department was represented by a Principal Officer, Mr . Jim Ganley. The function was held outside normal office hours and Mr. Ganley , who is headquartered at my Department’s offices in Ballina, attended the function at his own expense and at no cost to my Department.

While no central record exists in my Department regarding meetings involving my Department and Mr. Kearns while Chairman of the County and City Managers ’ Association (CCMA), the Table below sets out available information in relation to meetings of this kind.

Date	Purpose of the Meeting
12/12/2011	Meeting of CCMA representatives with the Secretary General and Assistant Secretary, Local Government Division, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government
12/12/2011	Meeting of CCMA representatives with the Local Government Efficiency Review Implementation Group
14/02/2012	Meeting with Chairman of the Local Government Efficiency Review Implementation Group and Assistant Secretary, Local Government Division, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government
16/02/2012	Meeting of CCMA Executive with Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government’s Management Advisory Committee
21/02/2012	Meeting of the full CCMA with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister of State for Housing and Planning.
06/06/2012	Meeting of the CCMA Chair and the CCMA sub-committee chairs with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government