David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 65:

In page 83, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following:“(f) A county council or a city and county council is required to ensure that income redistributed to a municipal district will be on a fair and equitable basis, and reasonably proportional to the income directly generated within that municipal district,”.

This amendment relates to the estimates for city and county councils. Its purpose is to ensure proper regard is given to income that is generated in and redistributed to municipal districts and that such redistribution takes place in a fair and equitable manner. It proposes to add to the current section on the reserve functions of the municipal district members and the requirement on the part of the chief executive to take account of the budgetary plan adopted by district members. The amendment proposes that a county or city council will be required to ensure that income redistribution to municipal districts takes place on a fair and equitable basis and is reasonably proportional to the income directly generated within the municipal district in question.

It will take local authority management and members some time to get their heads around the new structures and approach being rolled out by the Minister, especially with regard to how the new districts will work out in practice. A major change will required in respect of how budgets are adopted. Members of a local authority currently adopt a budget. In my home county of Waterford, for example, a new merged authority, Waterford Municipal District, will be established. It will have three electoral wards within the district and a further two electoral areas outside the district but within the overall county council boundaries. As the Minister will be aware, one of the fears people voiced about the merger is that it may result in one area subsidising the other and being disadvantaged as a result. The Minister will argue that one must ensure one pools resources and obtains the best for the entire electoral area, city or county. There are, however, some concerns about how this approach will work in practice.

The amendment is reasonably straightforward. I look forward to the Minister's response.