Vol. 444 No. 1
44 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for the Environment in regard to the pledge given in the Programme for a Partnership Government, 1993-1997, the additional reserved powers which have been given to elected members of local authorities; the plans, if any, there are to give additional reserved powers to members; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I made an Order in 1993 designating additional reserved functions, as recommended in the report of a working group which included representatives of the two local authority associations and local authority managers. Copies of the order — the Local Government Act, 1991 (Reserved Functions) Order, 1993 — and of the report were supplied to local authorities; the order was laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas and the report was placed in the Oireachtas Library.
In line with the Programme for a Partnership Government, it is the policy in framing new legislation affecting local authorities that appropriate functions should be designated as reserved. Accordingly, the recent Road Traffic and Local Government legislation provides for additional reserved functions, as does legislation currently before the Oireachtas in relation to casual trading.
