Tairgim: "Go léifear an Bille anois don Tarna hUair."
Sé cuspóir an Bhille ná fo-alt (7) d'alt 16 den Acht um Bainistí Chontae, 1940 a athghairm ionas go mbeidh ceapacháin mar ráta—bhailitheóir chontae déanta sa tslí chéanna agus a déantar ceapacháin eile sa tseirbhís áitiúil, sé sin de thoradh comórtais iomaíochta.
The purpose of this short Bill is to repeal sub-section (7) of section 16 of the County Management Act, 1940 so that the selection and appointment of county rate collectors will be made in the same way as other appointments in local authorities, on a merit or competitive basis.
At present appointments in local authorities, with the exception of county rate collector, are generally made either by the county manager in accordance with regulated procedures and methods of selection or on the recommendation of the Local Appointments Commissioners. The reasons for the exception which was made in the case of county rate collectors are not clear but it has been argued that county rate collectors are normally past school leaving age when they are appointed and that the office of county rate collector does not require the qualities that are best assessed by competitive examination or interview. It could also be said that the appointment of rate collectors is related to the council's control of financial and rating matters and that it is important that a local man be selected who will have a knowledge of and be sympathetic with local conditions and the financial circumstances of the ratepayers.
The appointment of county rate collectors has been a controversial issue down through the years. The question was raised in an Adjournment debate in the Dáil on 18th April last when I said that when the House gets an opportunity to discuss legislation dealing with the general question of the powers and functions of members of local authorities, the matter would fall to be discussed in that context. I had the matter further considered and in the light of views submitted by many people, including councillors, I came to the conclusion that it was time to change the system. The arguments against the system are well known—a system of appointment made by vote of elected members of local councils does not readily lend itself to the detailed procedures and controls which would ensure that selection is made on merit alone. As things now stand, there is scope for canvassing and unreasonable pressures may be exerted on the elected members. The alleged abuses and malpractices which are reported in the newspapers from time to time reflect no credit on the system and I think that it is fair to say that the system has proved an embarrassment to councillors over the years.
In my opinion the ill effects of the present system of appointment far outweigh any advantages which may be present. The traditional arguments advanced in favour of the system are marginal and not really sustainable— this is proved conclusively by the fact that rate collector appointments in towns and cities are made in the normal way; they present no problem and the officers appointed are equally as efficient as their counterparts in the county councils.
The enactment of the Bill will leave the way open to revise the regulations which govern the making of appointments so as to ensure that all rate collector posts are filled on the basis of open competition following advertisement in the public press—with the exception of such posts as may be filled by the promotion of serving staff. I hope to have the regulations in operation as soon as the Bill is passed.
The view has been expressed that, in future, county rate collector appointments should be made through the agency of the Local Appointments Commissioners. This is a possibility, but I have reservations about filling posts at this level through a central agency. It is doubtful if the holding of competitions on a national basis would be warranted for posts at this level with all that a national competition involves—travelling to Dublin and so on. The general approach to this question has been that senior posts should be filled through the Local Appointments Commissioners and that as you go down the scale to the less senior posts local competitions are the best and most suitable and expeditious.
Although criticism of the present method of appointment of county rate collectors has continually been made over the years, the principal reason why this proposed change has not been made up to now is, in all likelihood, that it takes away a power from the elected members. However, I feel that this is not the kind of power which the average county councillor is seeking when he offers himself to the electorate and I am quite satisfied that most councillors will be glad to be divested of this particular function relating to individual staffing appointments.
It is, as I have said, my view that appointments of county rate collectors should be made strictly on the basis of merit and I feel that the time is now opportune to make the change and that it should be made as soon as possible. It was for this reason that I had the matter covered in a separate Bill which I now commend to the House and ask that it be dealt with as quickly as possible.