Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

When I entered local government in 1974, the system was already 75 years old. It is only now, in 2013, that any government has had the courage to propose a fundamental review and reform of our local government structure. I commend the Minister, Deputy Hogan, for his courage and conviction in bringing forward this Bill. Many previous Ministers spoke of reform, including John Gormley, Dick Roche and Noel Dempsey but it was the current Minister, Deputy Hogan, who brought about these fundamental changes.

The Bill's provisions deal with every area from the abolition of local town councils to the restructuring of local authorities as the centrepiece of local enterprise. I would like to dwell on some key proposals. The Minister has signalled that the main focus for local authorities in future will be as the drivers of economic activity within their county or other jurisdiction. I welcome this proposal. Like many others, I have heard the frustrations of people who want to start a business. They complain they must go in several directions before they meet the relevant agency or group to get the necessary assistance or advice.

This Bill will address these anomalies in many ways. The local enterprise offices, or LEOs, will centrally address the lack of joined-up thinking between our local enterprise support agencies. This will see the abolition of the county enterprise boards and their alignment with local councils.

I am a little disappointed that the Minister has excluded local authority members from the LEOs' oversight or boards. The Minister, Deputy Hogan, who is anxious to see elected members at the coalface, should discuss this matter with his ministerial colleague, Deputy Bruton, who is the lead Minister on the LEO set-up.

In the 2001 Local Government Bill, the then Minister, Noel Dempsey, introduced the concept of strategic policy committees, SPCs, in local government. There is much debate within local government and within the Executive on whether these SPCs work well. As a former member and chair of an SPC, I believe they have value but in many ways they require extensive reform of their structures. In addition, they require the provision of set targets or benchmarks in terms of a five-year plan and a shorter plan for the duration of a local authority term.

Section 40 provides that an SPC is established in each of the 31 councils to deal with economic development. This is to enable the elected council to set strategic policy for the local authority’s enhanced role in social and economic development. It provides that the SPC may request the attendance of a public authority at a meeting. Such a public body must provide an explanation to the full local authority if it refuses to attend. This is certainly a worthwhile proposal.

Since 2001, county development boards have been ineffectual in delivering what they should do, which is simply to develop the county or local authority area. Part 6 inserts a new section 49A into the 2001 Act. This new section provides for the dissolution of city and county development boards, and the establishment of local community development committees which are within, rather than outside, the local authority.

It provides that such committees prepare five-year local and community plans for local and community development in their areas and requires that plans be consistent with the core strategy and objectives of development as set out in the planning and development Acts.

I am a supporter of the local development companies. In my constituency, delivery by Leader and the Leitrim development companies has been second to none. Led from the bottom-up, with boards selected from the local authorities, communities and agencies their financial performance, leadership and decision-making has made a great impact on the communities in both counties. In my view, this delivery was provided with minimal administration costs and compares well with that provided by the local authorities.

Section 128D of New Section 49A in the 2001 Act provides that membership of the new committee must include elected members of the local authorities, a chief executive or someone appointed by the chief executive, representatives of public authorities which provide services locally, representatives of local community interests and of publicly-funded or supported local development bodies, private individuals representing the local community and other persons as the Minister may appoint. Concerns have been expressed by community activists and the companies that this realignment will lead to a politicisation of funding. However, I do not agree with that view. Projects are assessed by a committee under strict criteria and recommendations are then forwarded to a board.

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