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

I can assure the Deputy that the national oversight and audit commission, on which public representatives will also sit and which will operate at a regional assembly level, with public representatives present, will be able to consider best practice with all service delivery in each local authority in the region. The commission will report to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and Gaeltacht on what I hope will be a regular basis, and it will be able to drive the efficiencies necessary across best practice in each service delivery area.

In addition, local authority members will have an annual service plan relating to the delivery, or otherwise, in each service area. I hope and expect that local elected members, who will be given the necessary capacity building require to achieve this, will have a developed level of expertise to be able to scrutinise the annual service plans in each service area better than it is done now. On a national basis, the national oversight and audit commission with local government auditors will provide the best vehicle for the efficiencies advocated by the Deputy for service delivery. It is a learning process for every local elected member and local authority and what works well in an area in the delivery of service should be aspired to by every authority. The idea will be driven by the national oversight commission.

I beg the Acting Chairman's indulgence as I must request another Clerk's correction to the text of the Bill. In order to correct a drafting error on page 163, line 37, the reference to paragraph (b)(i) should be changed to paragraph (b)(iv). We have done a few of those today.

See this speech in context