Mr. Des Dowling:

One of the specific recommendations is to make the local government auditor available to elected members to provide them with assistance and information they might need to probe the executive with regard to financial matters. Mr. Conlon referred specifically to examining legislation to ensure elected members can hold the managers and chief executives to account in this way. Significant powers are already available but we are open to seeing how they can be enhanced further. The audit is one element and a more general capacity to obtain answers from the executive would be another.

We did not specifically deal with the question of managers' salaries because they are dealt with in a broader public service context with regard to overall senior management salaries. The committee is aware of actions have been taken in this regard. As with other posts, the overall rates have been reduced and the general arrangements for appointment have been brought into line with the Government's new approach using the Top Level Appointments Committee. The Minister did not consider it necessary to deal with them other than how they have already been dealt with in these broader ways. Of course there will be fewer county managers and chief executives under the new arrangements.

We have tried to emphasise that section 140 is an issue, and we would be happy to hear more of what the Deputy has in mind with regard to its particular difficulties and its use or non-use, and how we can further ensure the weighting in decision-making is with the elected member rather than the executive. Certainly this is the intention of the programme.

With regard to the overall strengthening of local government, in the documents we have set out a range of functions which would move from central to local government and, in turn, those which would move from county level to municipal level. This is the starting basis but it is possible, if legislation is being developed, to add to it. I am certain the Minister will engage further with his colleagues on the move from central to local government in the first instance and then on the local element between city and county authorities and municipal authorities.

I appreciate there will be as many views on the regional construction as there are variations. In Dublin we have questions with regard to the city council and the three other local authorities, and when it comes to the region questions raised include what is the greater Dublin area, as this can include parts of Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. Others may consider the eastern seaboard extending as far as Louth to be part of the region. A balanced view must be taken on how to deal with these considerations, and the Government concluded the best way of trying to resolve this was not by trying to draw a line around Dublin city and county authorities but to deal with it as part of the broader Leinster configurations.

With regard to Waterford, my colleagues will discuss section 140, strategic policy committees, powers and waste. The overall savings of amalgamation are set out in the report of the independent group, and are assessed at approximately between €5 million and €9 million. This is with regard to an overall budget of approximately €127 million between the two local authorities. It was felt this was a reasonable assessment of what would be achievable having regard to potential duplication of approaches. It goes without saying corporate services and other headquarter functions have scope for efficiencies when the two authorities are brought together. The Minister has been at pains to state this is to benefit Waterford as a whole. Waterford is a very important gateway and this bears on the regional approach, of which Wexford, Kilkenny and Carlow are also part, which recognises Waterford's pre-eminence in the south east. As the Minister stated in the Dáil, it is quite possible to preserve, retain and build on the civic identity as part of this new configuration. There is no competition between the broader county and the city, which ought to be the key point or pull of attraction for the area.