asked the Minister for the Environment if he will define and enumerate the essential and emergency services which his Department consider are provided by local authorities to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Authority Services.
6.
The powers and functions of local authorities are prescribed in an extremely large body of legislation which does not classify these functions by reference to the categories mentioned in the question. The legislation allows a broad measure of discretion to the individual authority in relation to the level of service to be provided in any area having regard to individual circumstances. Many different local authority services may be required, depending on the circumstances, to respond to emergency type situations. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to have satisfactory plans available so that their services will respond speedily and effectively.
I have copied the phrase which was contained in the press statement issued on the Minister's behalf by his Department when he announced that there would be a 14 per cent reduction in 1988 in the rate support grant: the assurance is contained in that phrase that local authorities would be able to continue to provide essential emergency services. Presumably whoever drafted that press release had an outline of the essential and emergency services. Perhaps in the supplementary briefing which the Minister has there is a summary of that outline which he can make available to the House?
I can see the Deputy's difficulty and I recognise that he understands that local authorities have to establish their own priorities for the different services under their control. Local needs are different depending on the part of the country. There is not an exact list as to what one authority or another would regard as essential or emergency services. The important thing is that an essential level of service is maintained by the authorities. In a large city, as the Deputy would appreciate, refuse disposal would be a vital service whereas in a small rural local authority area it might not be seen in the same way and other methods of disposal would be availed of. Everybody understands what is regarded generally as being emergency or essential services, but it is a matter for each local authority to decide on their priorities in relation to different services.
I understand the Minister's difficulty but do I take it that the press release issued in his name was issued without checking with each local authority that they would be able to provide essential and emergency services? Given the pressure of time which no doubt existed for the Minister during the course of this busy autumn, could he say that where a local authority because of local terrain or other conditions is not able to meet the assurance of providing essential and emergency services he will facilitate them with the extra resources necessary?
There was no difficulty with the press release. My understanding from the local authorities is that they will be able to maintain what each of them regard as essential or emergency services.
When the Minister says it is his understanding that local authorities will be able to provide such services, has that understanding being informed by a written communication from each local authority?
No, it is not, I expect that will be a matter for discussion for each local authority at Estimates time.
Will the Minister assure the House, in view of the discussions by at least one local authority indicating that no new charges will be permitted for emergency fire services, accident relief services or rescue services——
The Deputy is getting into a lot of detail.
The Deputy knows that that is a matter for individual local authorities. They will be discussing these matters during their Estimates debates which will continue into November.
Deputy De Rossa.
At least one authority is considering the possibility of charging for cutting people out of cars.
Order, I have called Deputy De Rossa.
I am not aware of the results of the Estimates debates of any particular local authority at this time but by 16 November I expect they will all have passed their Estimates.
The Minister should not permit such charges.
I have called Deputy De Rossa.
Does the Minister regard the provision of emergency sewerage and drainage services at night and at weekends as essential services? Is he aware that Dublin Corporation have had to abolish weekend and night time services in this regard and that only last night this resulted in severe damage to property, specifically to St. Michael's House in Ballymun which caters for handicapped children, and that the damage arose because the corporation were unable to send out emergency staff to deal with flooding? Does the Minister regard this kind of service as essential and, if so, will he ensure that the rates support grant is adequate to provide it?
I regard the breakdown of water supply or sewerage disposal systems as serious and it could be regarded as an emergency in certain circumstances. I also regard the severe pollution of water as serious. This could be regarded as an essential service in most circumstances but it could also be regarded as an emergency service in an area because of a particular incident. If the corporation decide that they regard what the Deputy has been talking about as an emergency I would expect that they would treat it as such.
As a result of the cutback in the 1987 rates support grant the corporation had to abolish the emergency service for night time and for weekends.
I am awaiting a question, Deputy.
There is something like a three week wait to have sewerage blockages cleared in Dublin city.
The Deputy is making a statement.
This is as a result of the cut in the rate support grant.
Deputy John Boland. Order.
Will the Minister ensure that adequate funds will be made available to restore these essential services?
There will be a waiting list for the fire brigade shortly.
Accepting that there is an element of discretion with local authorities as to what constitutes essential services, surely the Minister can define what in his view and the view of the Government is regarded as an essential service to be provided by a local authority? Perhaps the Minister will enlighten the House on that point?
The Deputy agrees that individual authorities see essential and emergency services in different ways depending on the location of the authority and so on. Emergency services involve housing, roads, sanitary services and environmental services.
My question related to essential services.
Essential services could relate to such things as local authority housing, maintenance of roads, traffic control, public water systems, sewerage systems and that kind of thing. Essential services could also relate to waste disposal, burial grounds and so on. There is a whole list of essential services. The services should be attended to by the local authority from the funds available to them up to a level that they would regard as being adequate for the whole community. I have not got an arbitrary list to decide for any local authority as to what they should regard as essential.
How can the Government be satisfied that the rates support grant they intend to provide for local authorities will provide for a minimum level of essential services if the Government do not know what is a minimum level of essential services?
The services are laid out under the eight programme heads and they will be considered at the estimates meetings of all the authorities in the country between now and the end of November and they will establish, with the amount of money available to them the level of services they regard as adequate. As far as I am concerned they will have adequate funds.
I thank the Chair for his indulgence. In view of the Minister's offer of co-operation and his vision as to the range of services in different locations and having regard to the real difficulty that local authorities will be faced with when striking the rate, will the Minister advise on one or two courses that are open to me? I can put down the question again so that he can define the services or, alternatively, the Government and the Minister, as the Minister responsible, can clearly set out in unambiguous terms the emergency and essential services, irrespective of any part of the country in which a citizen is located, that the Department of the Environment regard as the minimum to justify a rates support grant?
We are having repetition on this question.
The Deputy will pursue the question anyway in due course, following the determination of striking the rate by the various authorities later on in this year.
I seek guidance and assistance.
What I gave the Deputy by way of example was not exhaustive; it was by way of giving an example as to the way I saw services being applied in the past, whether they are essential, nonessential or emergency services. As against that, it still is a matter for the local authorities to judge how best they can provide the service they think is necessary.
(Interruptions.)
The Chair has called the next question, Minister.