Local authorities operate in accordance with a broad range of legislation, including in relation to issues which come under the responsibility of a number of Government Departments.
In relation to the Deputy's specific query regarding public health issues, many functions in this area are now the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. However, there may still be roles that the local authorities perform that might be considered to fall within the public health realm. If the Deputy provides further detail on the specific public health function he is interested in, I will arrange for the issue to be examined without delay.