Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

The county and city authorities will be the primary unit of local government. I am not in a position to state anything further until my Government colleagues discuss the ultimate structures at county and sub-county level. The policy paper will indicate the functions and structures of local government and how we can better deliver services at local level. We will attempt to introduce new proposals whereby there can be greater devolution of function, and delivery of services as near as possible to the citizen. In the context of the EU-IMF agreement, this gives us an opportunity to have a local source of funding. All these issues will be part of the reform proposals and will form part of the statement on policy that must be agreed in the first instance by Government.

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