Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator MacSharry for raising this issue. My visit to Sligo last week was very positive. I was impressed by what is being done there, particularly in Cranmore. I hope I can clarify the situation for the Senator.

The action programme for effective local government, "Putting People First", was published on 16 October 2012. It sets out Government policy for reform across all the main areas of local government - namely, structures, functions, funding, operational arrangements, governance, the role of the executive and the elected council and engagement with local communities. The most fundamental reorganisation of local government structures since the present system began in the 1800s will be undertaken. A number of city and county local authorities will be unified; there will be extensive change at regional level, with rationalisation of structures and updating of functions, and at sub-county level a new system of municipal governance will be introduced. This will involve the comprehensive territorial configuration of each county into municipal districts in which the elected members will perform a range of important local functions on a fully devolved basis. The districts will be designed, as far as possible, around existing municipal towns and large urban centres which do not currently enjoy municipal status. Overall, the number of council seats will reduce from 1,627 to no more than 950.

My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Hogan, announced the appointment of an independent statutory local electoral area boundary committee on 15 November 2012 to carry out a local electoral area review, on which the new municipal districts will be based. The electoral review also has the specific goal of achieving better balance and consistency in representational ratios, while taking particular account of factors such as the location of towns and local identities in the new municipal governance arrangement. The terms of reference for the review contain the parameters defining the total number of seats on each council, including a weighting to be applied to take account of existing municipal towns. These take account of the significant population changes that have taken place since the current numbers were decided while at the same time ensuring adequate numbers for effective representation and governance in counties with lower populations.

The committee will review and make recommendations on local electoral area boundaries in the context of the results of the 2011 census and the action programme for effective local government. It has been asked to report to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government no later than 31 May 2013 and to review and make recommendations on the division of each council area, other than Cork city, into local electoral areas and to make recommendations on the number of members of each council to be assigned to each local electoral area.

The number of members for Dublin city and for Cork county are specified at paragraph 8 in the terms of reference. As already outlined by Senator MacSharry, for all other councils, as specified in paragraph 9, the numbers will be calculated on the basis of one member for every 4,830 of population, with additional members where there are existing borough and town councils and merging city and county councils. Those additions are subject to a maximum of four, except where councils are merging. These calculations are all subject to a minimum total of 18 and a maximum total of 40 members as set out in paragraph 9 of the terms of reference. Therefore, each of the five counties with borough councils will be allocated four members additional to the number of members by reference to population, plus the relevant town council addition, but subject to the limits set in the terms of reference on the maximum additions and on the overall number of members of the council.

It is a matter now for the committee to proceed with its work. We await its recommendations, which are due in May 2013. I have replied in general on the issue rather than specifically with regard to Sligo. However, I hope I have clarified the position.