Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The functions are being devolved to municipal district level in order that they will be as close as possible to the citizens. The regional assemblies will exist for the purpose of monitoring expenditure under EU operational programmes, overseeing regional planning guidelines and driving the efficiencies we require in local government and best practice in the regions. The local government audit service may have come up with useful suggestions about how to improve the effective delivery and quality of services but many of them are historical in nature. We are not getting real time information on how we might implement these proposals. I hope the regional assemblies will help us drive that through the oversight commission.

We can speak about structures but if regional authorities are directly elected they will be at the expense of something else in terms of power and functional responsibility. I subscribe to the view that power and responsibility should be as close as possible to the people. That will be done through the municipal districts and county and city authorities. This is why I did not opt for directly elected regional authorities. There is a need for co-ordination, and provision for this will be included in regional authorities' remit. I do not regard these proposals as abolishing anything. They will upgrade the powers and responsibilities of the local authority structures which are as close as possible to the people. I assure Deputy Catherine Murphy that when the legislation is introduced in 2013 it will contain a vast array of new responsibilities for councillors at local level.

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