Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 1 Jun 1999

Vol. 505 No. 6

Written Answers. - Local Government Legislation.

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

47 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when the Bill to modernise local government legislation will be published; if he will circulate the heads of the Bill to the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14358/99]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

Work is well under way on the preparation of a major local government bill to modernise and consolidate local Government law and to implement a range of reform measures. This Bill is an important element of the overall programme for the renewal of local government currently being implemented. As part of the formal consultation process I have had meetings with the Joint Committee on the Environment and Local Government and with the local government representative associations; my Department has also met with local authority managers. There has been discussion on many issues arising in the context of the Bill. In the context of an assessment of the amount of work now remaining to be done, I have, following my meeting with the joint committee, been considering the most useful format in which material relating to the Bill might best be made available.

The current position is that four out of five tranches have been prepared and reviewed by the Attorney General's office with which my Department is in contact, as ongoing work by both parties on these drafts proceeds. The preparation of the final tranche will of course have implications for the earlier tranches with inevitable consequential and other changes; some indeed arising from the consultation process. The Planning Bill too, on which work is proceeding separately, also has knock-on implications for the Local Government Bill. The preparation of any such major legislation is an ongoing process which can be subject to fairly significant change along the way.

To allow for a more productive input by all concerned and to avoid loss of time it would be best if the version circulated were a more finished and coherent product. When work is further advanced therefore, I will consider making available the proposals for the Bill, or if at that stage this might lead to unnecessary delays, my aim would be to publish the Bill but with ample time for its consideration by the committee. This matter will be kept under review in the light of progress.

Finally I should say that quite independently of the Bill, I am pressing ahead with a whole series of initiatives designed to transform local government. Many of these measures do not require legislation; practical steps or other measures with which the Bill will deal are already under way.