Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

When will the Local Government Bill 2018 come before the House? The Bill is currently on Second Stage in the Dáil. I am deeply concerned about the pace at which the Bill - the purpose of which is to make major changes to boundaries in Cork city and county - is being dealt with. The Bill contains a proposal to transfer responsibility for 147 sq. km of land and 80,000 residents from Cork county to Cork city. It is significant legislation but the real issue is the timing relating to it and where we are going in the context of the local elections that are due to be held in the middle of next year. There are genuine concerns at local authority level and among the general public regarding the clarification of boundaries in order that we might know where the city and county will be divided. From a purely administrative point of view, if one is going to transfer responsibility for 80,000 residents from the county into the city, there will have to be significant administrative changes all the way through local government services. The Bill is primary legislation designed to facilitate all of that.

We have been informed that it is hoped to enact the legislation by the end of the year. That is a very tight timeframe. We are looking at the bones of three and a half weeks to get it through yet it has not even come before the Seanad. I ask the Leader for clarity on the status of the Bill, when it will be coming to the Chamber and whether we will be in a situation whereby sufficient time can be provided before Christmas to enact it and have it signed into law by the new year. This is a significant issue. If the legislative change is not going to be brought in by the end of 2018, it is quite possible that it will be pushed out into February. That will present us with an unfortunate dilemma in circumstances in which we need certainty about boundaries and where officials are moving to. These issues need to be clarified.