Seanad debates

Tuesday, 18 December 2018

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage

 

12:30 pm

Photo of Jennifer Murnane O'ConnorJennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My colleagues in Fianna Fáil and I will table significant amendments to this Bill before we support it. We support and agree with the changes in Cork, as advocated by several expert reports. However, local government reform has to be about more than just a slash and burn approach that has characterised Government policy. Following detailed discussions with local representatives, it is clear that Galway should be dealt with through a separate, comprehensive Bill. We will remove any reference to a single Galway chief executive and directly elected mayor, pending a comprehensive debate on the future of Galway.

Local government has a key responsibility in delivering local services, representing locals, and identifying reform of local democracy. Having a viable identity is the lifeblood of rural Ireland. The Local Government Act 2013 was a robbery of the democratic heart of Irish politics. More power was placed in the hands of unelected officials and it failed to serve the people of Ireland. Centralised power has removed vital local control of utilities such as water from local government. Town councils were abolished and other councils were amalgamated. Weak new municipal district councils were set up and chief executives are county managers in disguise, since they still have the same functions.

Local government reform involved no substantial development functions beyond tinkering with enterprise despite there being massive potential for change. Fianna Fáil advocates for fresh powers to be given to local authorities, for a new directly-elected mayor in every city, not the haphazard approach of the Government, and for the re-establishment of town councils. The amalgamation of local authorities and changes to boundaries have the potential to undermine local democracy. We must not silence the people of Ireland. It is crucial that any changes made involve full and all-inclusive consultation and robust engagement with local people.We would like to see clear commitment to local government reform. Town councils should be fully restored in towns with a population of more than 7,500. A new, directly elected mayoral structure should also be put in place, community councils established and new powers and resources given to local authorities. Promises in the programme for Government for rebalancing the powers between councillors and officials have been abandoned, with section 140 having been removed without giving any real additional powers to councillors. This is of massive concern to me. We now have the most centralised government in the western world. This is not good for rural Ireland. There were 1,627 elected local government members in Ireland, 883 county and city councillors and 744 town and borough councillors. The elimination of the latter halved the number of representatives to 950. Although there was an increase in councillors in urban areas in the east, there was no real effort to enhance democratic engagement. It is untrue to say that Ireland has too many elected representatives in light of the fact we have one of the worst ratios of councillors relative to population in Europe. The abolition of town councils increased this ratio to around one councillor per 5,000 people, which is by far the highest ratio in the western world. For effective representation this has to change. The local representatives deserve better as do the people.

We need an overhaul of the system to make effective changes, such as an urgent overhaul of the commercial rates system combined with full implementation of the local government efficiency review and enhanced auditing facilities to ensure value for money and efficient spending. Fianna Fáil has a wish list for the reform of local government which includes the establishment of a community asset fund drawn from an initial pilot project fund of the €15 million earmarked from the new tax on sugar-sweetened drinks. This would be used to fund community councils and co-ops to borrow cheaply to buy local community assets. We would establish a community right to reclaim land. Under this mechanism, a council voluntary housing association or community sports group could put forward a community right to reclaim request to the Minister with responsibility for the environment. The Minster would consider whether the public body had plans to develop the land or required it for strategic purposes. If not, the Minister could compel the relevant body to sell the land. If successful, the community organisation could avail of the community asset fund to prepare a bid for the land which would be sold on the open market by the public body involved. We also advocate the creation of a new community council model. This system, operated on a voluntary participation basis with no expenses related to representation, forms the bedrock and first tier of our vision for a new local government structure. The model builds on the existing, relatively informal structure of community councils across the country. Giving them a formal legislative role with clear duties and rolling them out across communities would mark a real devolvement of power to the citizens. There is great potential in local government and it is time to harness it through effective change.

Like most of us here, I was a councillor for years. I always feel that when legislation is being brought in, like when we got rid of our town councils, there is no real engagement with councillors or local authorities. What role have the councillors and the 31 local authorities played in this? Did the Minister of State speak to the Local Authorities Members Association, LAMA, or the Association of Local Government in Ireland, AILG? Originally when we lost our town councils this was all to do with funding. We now have municipal authorities that sit once a month with no funding. It is just not doable. The Minister of State spoke about funding from central Government going into the councils. In my area of Carlow we get among the lowest funding in the country. Smaller counties like ours are losing out. I welcome the fact elected mayors are being considered for the cities. However, the removal of powers from councillors and the loss of the town councils and the funding for them has had a detrimental effect on towns, particularly in my area and other smaller areas. Rural Ireland needs a total overhaul. What is the Minister of State responsible for local government going to do to reform the smaller local authorities that are crying out for help and are not getting it? What about the powers that the councillors need to get back? They have lost all their powers. Could the Minister of State clarify that? I know he listens to the councillors. What input have they had into this? What role will be given to them going forward?

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