Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)

The Bill does not provide for the establishment of the new amalgamated unitary local authorities in Limerick and Tipperary. That will require further, separate legislation. The Minister will bring forward wider local government proposals shortly on regional, county and sub-county structures. The overall reform programme will also reflect other work in progress on various aspects of local government, including the merger and restructuring processes that I have referred to, the local government efficiency review implementation, local government financing, local development and local government alignment. A wide range of policy proposals will give rise to further legislation in this regard.

Regarding the Bill, the principle of a Minister in a sector such as local government having the power to establish bodies to provide shared services for local authorities is long-established and recognised by the courts. It is even more important in today's environment that the Minister has the power, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to establish bodies to deliver shared services. We all recognise that we want to rationalise in this way.

This Bill clearly establishes in primary legislation the principles and policies that the Minister must have regard to in establishing such bodies. The matters that will guide the Minister are clearly set out and are aimed towards efficiency and effectiveness of operation. There is substantial support on all sides of the House in this regard.

The bodies are now effectively established under primary legislation and therefore it has not been possible to establish, on a statutory footing, the amalgamated bodies required to give full effect to the Department's agency rationalisation programme but the Bill will allow the Minister to dissolve eight bodies in total. It is only intended to establish two new bodies. The housing and sustainable communities agency will take over the work of the affordable homes partnership, the Centre for Housing Research and the National Building Agency.

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