Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Byrne for bringing this matter before the House. Bhí mé ag éisteacht leis níos luaithe san oíche. Tá Gaeilge an-mhaith aige. Chuir sé pointe an-mhaith romhainn.

I acknowledge the points raised by Senator Byrne and welcome the opportunity to clarify issues regarding the recent report of the 2013 Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee. Each Member of these Houses is no doubt interested in the recommendations of the committee, especially as they relate to their own county or city. As the Senator will be aware, I am familiar with many parts of County Meath. Parts of the county are in County Louth in terms of the Dáil electoral area.

The committee was established by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, in November 2012 and its report was published on 30 May 2013. In publishing the report, the Minister announced his intention to accept in full the recommendations therein and to make in due course the necessary local electoral area orders to give them effect. The local electoral areas specified in these orders, and the number of members to be elected for each area, will apply at the 2014 local elections. Arrangements are currently in train to prepare these orders and they will be ready in good time for next year's elections.

The completion of the report was an important step in the Government's programme of local government reform. The review had a specific goal of improving balance and consistency in representational ratios in local government, while taking particular account of factors such as the location of towns in the new municipal governance arrangements provided for in the action programme for effective local government. The terms of reference provided for minimum levels of representation in lower-population counties and cities.

Arising from the recommendations in the report, a total of 949 councillors will be elected at the 2014 elections, in 137 local electoral areas, to 31 local authorities. Much of the commentary on the report has focused on the reduction in the number of council seats from 1,627 to 949 and the number of local authorities from 114 to 31. However, beyond these reductions is the development of a far more integrated approach between county and municipal government which will better serve the needs of all citizens.

This radical structural reform will provide a sound platform for the wider development and strengthening of the local government system in the future. The current number of councillors in local authorities was set in the distant past. There have been huge changes in population in recent decades and, indeed, one of the counties particularly affected has been Meath.

Whereas previous local electoral area reviews left the total number of members in each local authority unchanged, this review involves a fundamental reform of the system. One practical consequence is that the number of members of Meath County Council will increase from 29 to 40. That is a very significant increase.

The recommendations in the report stand as they are. The Minister, Deputy Hogan, accepts them in full, for Meath and for every other local authority area. As the Minister mentioned some months ago, when the new arrangements for Dáil constituencies were being debated - and more recently when Senator Cullinane raised the local electoral area boundaries for Cork in this House - there are pluses and minuses in constituency and boundary reviews. In nearly every situation there are multiple options and a range of solutions. However, every change or move has a knock-on effect, with consequences for other parts of a county.