Paul Bradford (Renua Ireland) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to ask the Minister of State to outline the current position regarding the promised review of the 2014 local authority boundaries, workload and ancillary matters. The reform of local government in 2014, which resulted in the abolition of town councils and the creation of municipal districts, was a sea change in local government. In retrospect, many people have come to the conclusion that some of the changes have had a negative impact. In particular, there is a growing view that local government structures at town and community level must be reviewed again. I am sure many municipal districts are working effectively, but some of them are large. For example, a number in County Cork are 18 miles long. Once a municipal district is of that scale, the word "local" is removed from the concept of local government and local democracy. We are more than three years away from the next local government elections. Unfortunately, these elections are held on a fixed five-year basis, but we have time to plan ahead.

In the immediate aftermath of the changes, a number of senior and junior Ministers, led by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, stated that they felt a review was required and consideration should be given to a town council structure in particular. If there is a willingness to do that, we must look beyond the traditional town councils. Many large towns and urban areas never had a town council, and I hope that a review would consider areas where new structures are required. What is the current status of the operational review? Where is it heading from the point of view of its thinking and philosophy on local government reform and local structures? We still complain in this country about top-down decision-making in Brussels and about centralised thinking and political decision-making, but that is what have begun to do at local government level. If we want to empower and engage citizens and if we want communities to work with and on behalf of each other, driving local services, newer and small local government structures will be required.

I hope all of this is being considered in the review. I am simply seeking an update. Will the Minister of State put on the agenda the possibility of returning to sub-county structures by way of town and community or district councils? We are beginning to learn that removing councillors from communities was a retrograde step. Town councils and town councillors did not have all the answers, but they were a visible form of local government and local decision-making and people could engage almost on a daily basis with at least one of their town councillors. This brought local government and politics closer to people, which is where it should be. Smaller councils should have a role to play in the fruits of any review. I am seeking an update on the review and on the Minister of State's thinking. She served on a council in Kilkenny and she will be aware of the fantastic work that can be done in a non-political, non-partisan way at local government level. This was done on a daily basis without any fanfare and I would like to return to that place. I would like the Minister of State's views and observations.