I propose to take Questions Nos. 114, 128 and 147 together.
In accordance with the Programme for Government, my Department will be publishing a Green Paper on local government reform in the coming months. The Green Paper will examine a number of issues with the objective of making local government more transparent and responsive, and will set out options for reform in advance of a subsequent White Paper. Issues to be considered in the Green Paper include:
Ensuring a proper balance of power at local levels between the manager and the elected representatives;
The issue of directly elected Mayors/ Chairs;
The establishment of town councils in those towns that have shown significant population growth in recent years, including the upgrading of the former Town Commission towns, where appropriate to full Town Councils; and,
The provision of quality customer service to the public.Work on the Green Paper should be finalised by the end of the year, with a White Paper to follow next year.
The Government's programme states that a directly elected Mayor for Dublin with executive powers will by introduced by 2011. The remit of an elected Mayor for Dublin and all other practical matters involved in establishing such an office will be given consideration as a part of the reform process outlined above.
