Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd. He is no stranger to local government; indeed, he has been involved in it more than most Members of this House.

I followed closely the Bill's passage through the Dáil and was impressed by the open and constructive debate that took place. That it was a constructive debate is clearly evident from the number of compromise amendments that were made to the Bill in the Lower House. There were 197 amendments on Committee Stage. Some of them dealt with changes such as the level of population requirement for the provision of a mayor while another provided for an enhanced audit function, which provides better transparency and which I welcome. I also welcome an amendment that was accepted by the Government on Report Stage relating to the non-principal private residence charge. The Bill is substantial legislation, running to 220 pages, with 13 Parts and five Schedules, including sections on community development, financial procedures and regional assemblies. This underlines the importance of the Bill. I hope to see the same standard of debate on the Bill this week as took place in the Lower House.

The Bill implements the action plan for effective local government in the Putting People First document, which was first published in October 2012, with some notable changes. The Government was elected with a mandate to reform the economy, the banking sector and the political system, and the Bill goes some towards fulfilling the latter reform at local government level. Having been a councillor for many years, as was the Minister of State and many Members of this House, I support the need for a reform of local government in Ireland following a century of little or no reform and a gradual reduction of powers. We all agree that strong local government must play a vital part in a modern, functioning democracy, a democracy that is empowered to represent the public interest at all times.

I have previously voiced my view in this House, and to the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, both inside and outside this House, on the type of reform I would like to take place. I have expressed my personal disappointment about the abolition of town councils. These councils have provided a vital service and a crucial democratic link for small towns throughout the country. However, I recognise and accept the democratic decision at Cabinet level to restructure the local government system as set out in this Bill. I welcome the strengthening of local government functions in economic and community development. Time will tell whether the proposed reforms can be implemented in a manner that ensures the needs of all communities, including those in small rural areas, are not overlooked. The manner in which subsequent ministerial regulations are enforced following the passing of this Bill will provide more clarity about the quality of the reform we can expect.

I welcome the fact that the Minister has committed to bringing forward amendments on Committee Stage to provide for increased consultation with local communities. It is important that the principle of subsidiarity is recognised.

While consultation is required with citizens on decisions which affect them, there is also a need to recognise the democratic mandate of councillors.

The Minister has always taken the concerns expressed by people, particularly those in rural areas, seriously and I am confident he will work to ensure that such concerns will be allayed. The Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland, AMAI, is the overarching body for town and borough councils and has been in existence for more than 100 years. I have been involved with the association for in excess of 20 years and have been very impressed by the manner in which it has approached the issue of reform. I have worked closely with the AMAI and the Minister to ensure the best possible result will be achieved from this round of local government reform. We all agree that we need a system capable of delivering in terms of supporting local communities and revitalising town centres. In this regard, I welcome that as a result of discussions on Committee Stage in the Dáil, elected members will have discretion in respect of the 50% refund on vacant properties. I am glad that under the proposed legislation, municipal district members will be consulted about the period of base year adjustment for business rates. The power to determine the annual rate of valuation will rest with the elected members at plenary council level but only after consultation with the CEO at municipal district level. This is another change that has been made since the Bill was introduced, and I welcome it. I also welcome that a key goal in the context of the Bill is to establish a more coherent approach to rates and charges without placing undue pressure on the SME sector. I look forward to working with the Minister to ensure a common-sense approach will be adopted in order that there will be as much equity as possible in this regard.

I acknowledge that the Minister has interacted with the AMAI, the Association of County and City Councils, ACCC, and the Local Authorities Members Association, LAMA, as the Bill has progressed through the Houses and has taken on board some of the issues in respect of which amendments were tabled on Committee Stage in the Dáil. The Minister has made it clear that the sentiment behind some of those amendments is acknowledged and that the matters to which they relate will be considered in the context of future legislation. I refer, for example, to levying additional rates on those who can afford to pay them to facilitate community gain. This would take pressure off existing small businesses and lead to improvements in local communities. In the context of a matter discussed by the Minister and me and referred to by Senator Keane, I hope additional consideration will take place on Committee Stage in this House with regard to the method of selection for local community development committees, LCDCs, to introduce an increased level of democratic input into the selection process relating to those committees. This issue has been raised with me - and, I am sure, with all other Senators - by the representative bodies.

While I acknowledge that some progress has been made in respect of this matter, I am of the view that leaving the option of the title of mayor open for the elected leaders of councils would be cost neutral in nature and would give greater status to municipal districts which are excluded from using this title because their populations are below 20,000. In that context, there is no representative in County Leitrim who is recognised or referred to by the title of "mayor". That is a mistake and I hope the Minister will address it.

The Bill will have significant consequences for Tipperary, the county in which I live, and also for Limerick and Waterford. The initiative to amalgamate the local authorities is aimed at providing efficiencies and improved delivery of service. I have seen the report compiled by the Minister which claims this amalgamation will save €30 million over five years in Tipperary. I hope the need to make savings was not the only key factor in these mergers and that the delivery of a stronger system of local government to the people was also a consideration. These amalgamations will require significant changes. I hope these will be the kind of common-sense changes which will ensure services can be delivered more effectively and efficiently to constituents despite the low level of representation, which is regrettable but which has been implemented. I am confident the organisations in Tipperary, Waterford and Limerick will work together and unite for the good of the people affected in these counties.

I look forward to debating the provisions in the Bill with the Minister and with my colleagues in this House over the coming days. I also look forward to listening to and participating in the discussions that will occur in order to ensure we get matters right for citizens and those in local government which we strive to represent.