Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 36:

In page 61, after line 44, to insert the following:“(9) The role of Chief Executive shall be reviewed within one year of the enactment of the Local Government Reform Act 2013 with a view to maximising recalibration of power to elected members.”.”.

The amendment proposes that the role of the chief executive would be reviewed. I welcome the fact that there will be a major shift in the balance of power between elected councillors and the management of councils. This has been one of the big complaints by councillors. We have had this discussion both in the Chamber and outside it many times in the past two or three years. We are taking that proposed change in good faith, but Sinn Féin is seeking that the role of chief executive shall be reviewed within one year of the enactment of this legislation to see how it is working out and if changes need to be made. When one is doing something new it is a good idea to examine it and benchmark it. A year is a good period to have elapsed before determining how the measure is working out. We should then examine whether further recalibration is required for the powers of county managers vis-à-vis those of elected councillors.

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