asked the Taoiseach whether it is the policy of the Government to transfer certain powers and functions at present administered by civil servants to existing local authorities.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Service Functions Transfer.
I understand that the Deputy's question arises out of a public statement by the Attorney-General containing an expression of opinion in favour of increasing the powers of the elected members of local authorities. This was envisaged in the statement of policy issued shortly before the Government took office in June last, one of the points of which was: "To restore democratic rights in respect of local government by amending the County Management Acts and giving to local authorities greater autonomy and effective power in local affairs."
Arising out of the Taoiseach's reply, the specific point in the question had to deal with decentralisation, and is the Taoiseach aware that the Attorney-General made the statement at a Fine Gael regional conference in Sligo in September last that decentralisation did not mean the transfer of civil servants to provincial towns, but that it did mean the transfer of functions from Government Departments to be exercised locally? The question, which incidentally suffered very badly by the application of Standing Orders Nos. 31 and 32, did not enable me to put the matter in the form in which it was intended. Would the Taoiseach say that the statement on decentralisation as made by the Attorney-General represents Government policy on this subject?
The reply, I think, has answered that question, and as regards the suffering of the Deputy's question by the application of Standing Orders, my reply refers to the Attorney-General's statement——
I do not want to haggle too long on this, but would the Taoiseach say categorically that the Attorney-General's statement that decentralisation does not mean transferring civil servants to provincial towns——
Question No. 2.
Another six marker.