Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising the issue. As the Senator will probably know, we are going through the same process in Cork, but it is within one county as opposed to two counties. There are views on either side of that question as well. The Senator should know that it is not only Roscommon where this applies.

As he rightly pointed out, I am taking the matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly. The Minister is keen for me to update the House on the matter. As Members are aware, the Minister, Deputy Kelly, announced the establishment of statutory committees to review local government boundaries in Athlone, Carlow, Drogheda and Waterford on 19 June last. In the case of Athlone, the committee has been asked to carry out a review of the boundary between County Westmeath and County Roscommon and make recommendations with respect to that boundary which it considers to be necessary in the interests of effective local government.

The main rationale for undertaking the review of boundaries in Athlone is that the 2011 census showed a significant Athlone environs population in County Roscommon. The question that arises is the proportional relationship between administrative jurisdictions and the current settlement and development position. I imagine the Senator is well aware of all those arguments. Bringing an entire town or city within a single local authority area can eliminate or prevent anomalies and distortions of divided administration, service provision, regulatory and enforcement responsibility and electoral representation. Potential problems can also include differing policies and practices between authorities in respect of matters such as planning, rating and other changes that can impact negatively on town centres. Possible differences in standards of service delivery can also be avoided. Consolidation of administrative responsibility can also strengthen the economic performance of a town by ensuring a single authority working on its behalf.

Athlone is now an important economic hub for a wide hinterland and it has the potential to act as a major economic growth and employment centre at the heart of the country. That can benefit the people of all the surrounding counties irrespective of what side of an administrative boundary they reside. The Athlone boundary committee has been established under section 28 of the Local Government Act 1991 and, in accordance with section 28(3), it is independent in the performance of its functions. While it would be inappropriate, therefore, for me to comment on the substantive matter under examination, I would like to take the opportunity to address some misconceptions that have been reported recently on this issue.

Firstly, neither the Government - as the wording of the Commencement matter seems to suggest - nor the Minister, Deputy Kelly, is proposing that the boundary be changed. The task of examining and analysing the issue has been entrusted to the independent boundary committee and it is that group which will consider and report on the matter. At that stage, it will be open to the Minster of the day to suggest the alteration of a boundary by order, having regard to the report in question. In this context, it is clear the matter will not be decided finally by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government but by the Oireachtas. In accordance with the 1991 Act, a draft of any order made by the Minister providing for a boundary alteration must be laid before each House of the Oireachtas. The order cannot be made until a resolution approving the draft has been passed by each House. This would normally follow a submission to Government and would be unlikely to arise unless the independent statutory committee proposed a boundary alteration. The Members in this House as well as their colleagues in Dáil Éireann, will, therefore, have an opportunity to examine any draft order that might come before them and it will not proceed unless approved by a positive resolution of both Houses. Moreover, any boundary alteration proposal would apply purely to the local government administrative jurisdiction. Contrary to an impression that has been given by a degree of publicity, a boundary alteration, were it to take place, would have no effect whatsoever on sporting affiliations, such as, for example, how GAA clubs are organised. Indeed there are notable examples in the North and South of where GAA club affiliations depart from local government boundaries and where clubs located in one county compete in a neighbouring county.

The establishment of independent statutory committees to review local government boundaries in Westmeath and Roscommon and elsewhere is a natural development, building on the measures announced in the action plan for effective local government in 2012 and subsequently provided for in the Local Government Reform Act 2014. I hope this is of some benefit to the Senator.

Feedback thus far suggests that the revised structures and measures implemented by this Government are generally operating well and I imagine the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government will look forward to studying the various reports, including the report relating to counties Westmeath and Roscommon, to assess whether further adjustment is necessary. No decision has been taken yet.