Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not know of any councillor who would inform his or her constituents that remedial works in respect of water services or repairs to potholes in roads - which are quite common these days - are not functions of councils and that these are matters with which the executives must deal. The Minister for Health was just in the House and I am sure he would never state that huge hospital waiting lists are of no concern to him. In light of the fact that the administration of services is not up to the standard that citizens would expect, I am of the view that there is a role for local elected representatives to play. The latter is particularly true in cases where the delivery of services is seen to be deficient. I would not agree with the fine distinction which states that councils are merely responsible for making policy decisions.

A report published in 1975 indicates that, at that time, the administration of government in this country was more centralised than was the case in communist China. There is a need to devolve powers from the centre to local areas, particularly those units which can deliver on the most cost-efficient basis. In general, the latter occurs at the point of service.

This Bill does not address any of the elements that go to the core of having real local empowerment and democracy. What we have is local administration with councillors who have a highly restricted and constrained role. This underpins my thinking on the issue of reform of local government.

Previous attempts to reform local government have been abandoned. This Bill provides for a directly elected mayor of Dublin. While Dublin is the capital and largest centre of population, why does Kilkenny, for example, not have an elected mayor who would be the political supremo in the county? Why do people in County Kilkenny not have a right to decide which person should be accountable to them through the normal democratic process.

Currently, we have all-powerful county managers, some of whom are very good, while others are very poor. When I was actively involved in the local government scene I did surveys with various organisations which showed that fewer than half of the county managers were regarded as top class performers. We have seen the manner in which some of them secure their positions. The Bill does not include measures to address deficiencies in the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission, under which people tend to be appointed on the basis of seniority, who they know or how well they are personally regarded by those in the system. Radical change is required in that regard. People outside the local government system must be involved in the appointment process.

These are the principles I would like enshrined in a proper local government reform Bill. The Title of the Bill before us another of the misnomers that have become a feature of most of the Bills introduced by the Government.