Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I move amendment No. 21:

In page 25, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following:“19. The principal Act is amended by inserting the following Part after Part 3:

“PART 3A
COMMUNITY COUNCILS

22A. (1) Every city and county council shall designate Community Council Areas throughout its local authority area.

(2) The structure of each such Community Council Area shall reflect the natural community of that area and each village and town shall have its own Community Council.
(3) The number of members on each Community Council shall be between the range of 7 to 15 (towns shall have 15 members and villages shall have 7 members).
(4) Members of the Community Council shall undertake their duties on a voluntary basis.
(5) Community Council members shall be elected annually, such election shall take place at an annual general meeting of the Community Council.
(6) Persons registered on the register of electors for the particular year shall be invited to the Annual General Meeting and each such person shall be entitled to vote to elect Community Council members.
(7) Each Community Council may extend ex-officio, non-voting positions to representatives of local community groups. Such groups shall be chosen at the Annual General Meeting.
(8) Community Councils may draft Local Area Plans in conjunction with the executive of the relevant local authority and any such plans so drafted, shall only be put to the relevant local authority for approval following a vote of persons on the register of electors of the relevant Community Council Area.
(9) Community Councils shall be consulted on any major planning applications within that Community Council’s area and shall be invited to make submissions on same to the relevant local authority.
(10) Community Councils may organise matters such as—
(a) local community events,
(b) plebiscites on matters including street name changes, and
(c) community levies for specific projects, including playgrounds, sports facilities, parks.”.”.

Deputy Stanley alluded to this point in his comments on the last amendment. We want to confirm that there is nothing underhand intended on the part of the Department to omit the word council or district council from the various references in this section. This amendment would enhance not only the image and the authority of municipal districts but would also satisfy me from a legal perspective that there is no sinister effort in drawing down funds or in respect of the transfer of assets in existing town councils. That is very important. Will the Minister say whether there are any costs associated with the transfer of ownership of assets not only in the area of public water networks but public parks and buildings and so forth? What are the legal implications? Does the Bill provide for them? Will extra costs land in the laps of the local authorities to meet these transfers?