Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank members for their valued contributions. The importance of this session cannot be overstated and I look forward to the publication of the report into the future of local democracy and the recommendations that will stem from months of work. I acknowledge all the work the committee has undertaken over the past number of weeks. The arrangements for councillors to travel to Dublin have not been easy but it will be valued and I will take a deep dive into the considerations brought forward today.

I will respond to some points made on planning. It is an area of topical debate. The Planning and Development Bill is moving through the Houses and has passed the Stages in the Dáil. It is one of the largest pieces of legislation the Houses have seen. I think it is the third largest in the State's history. It will provide a clear, concise, transparent planning system.

We will have statutory timelines in respect of An Bord Pleanála, which is important if we are to try to reduce the backlog and ensure swifter decisions.

People need to understand that we implemented the Office of the Planning Regulator on the back of the Mahon tribunal on certain planning matters and the subsequent recommendations.

As Senator Boyhan stated, councillors are not planners, but they have a significant role in the review and implementation of local area and county development plans and we certainly require their input. They are the people on the ground who know the areas and they need to have a voice in this. Regarding current local area plans, how they are reviewed, how they become operational and the time periods involved, there is a two-year review process and a two-year implementation process and then the cycle starts again. Moving those out to a ten-year cycle makes sense from an implementation perspective. The current cycle is inadequate. It is cumbersome for many councillors to have to review plans every two to three years during a cycle. This is the reason for the change. We should be more focused on implementation of county development and local area plans.

The regional assemblies have an important function in the preparation of regional spatial economic strategies. Their advisory and consultative role with local authorities on the delivery of national policies is also important. We should strengthen regional assemblies. It is important that councillors who are on regional assemblies have a voice that is reflective of the chambers in their respective areas.

The question of finance is an issue. We have always had consideration for local councillors’ budgetary preparations. Local government is independent of central government and it prepares and commands annual budgets. We all know that the level of services within each local authority area is increasing, as is the level of demand. Deputy Canney referred to the record level of delivery under the social housing programme. We need to meet that level of maintenance in the time ahead. The LPT is one part of the mix. It has been called not fit for purpose, but it provides up to €696 million in local government funding, which is important. The Local Government Fund is another element. Senator Cassells spoke about other Departments. Partnerships with those Departments is central to this. The Department of Rural and Community Development allocates millions of euro to each local authority in respect of rural regeneration projects. In the Department of housing, where I sit, billions of euro are delivered to local authorities under the urban regeneration development fund. Departments are also allocating money to ensure that the local authorities have the technical and administrative personnel to administer the funds. All of this is forgotten about when we discuss a lack of funding for local government, though.

Senator Casey raised the issue of town councils. I wish to be constructive on this. There is a dual system in place at municipal and strategic county council levels, but I take the Senator’s point about urban areas. We have the town centre first policy, through which we should be directing more resources into making town centres more liveable and functional. Our Department needs to revisit that policy in terms of restrengthening the town focus and recalibrating powers within each urban area.