Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan. I know he is very busy. The issue I raise concerns access to information about decision makers in local authorities. All local authorities have websites featuring information on the services they provide. No comprehensive review has been undertaken of the need for local authorities to clearly identify which members of staff are responsible for the various areas of responsibility, for example, housing, roads, development and planning. While websites may feature the names of heads of department, they do not provide information on sub-departments.

The European Commission website provides information on all sections of the various directorates general and the names of all those with responsibility. Providing such information on local authority websites would overcome the problem people face when they try to obtain information on which individual they need to contact about specific issues. We must move with the times, especially given that the Minister has introduced major reform of local government. The abolition of town councils will result in a significant reduction in the number of councillors in many areas. Members of the public need access to information more than ever. I ask that the Department examine this issue and set out a clear agenda for progressing the matter in the coming 12 months. We must not miss the opportunity provided by the current reform of local government to inform members of the public, especially about those who are in charge of various areas. I ask the Minister to address this issue.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Colm Burke for raising this matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline the position regarding customer services in local authorities.
We need a local government service that represents its citizens and communities efficiently and effectively and provides access to the services people need in the most efficient and user friendly manner. Local authorities have an ongoing commitment to applying the highest standards in dealings with their customers in the delivery of their services. They continue to provide this quality service notwithstanding the reduction of more than 25% in their staffing complement in recent years. Given the changes in staffing levels and the variety of working patterns in a modern organisation, for instance, job sharing, it may not always be feasible to provide a specific contact name for all services. None the less, where this is the case, local authorities should make additional efforts to ensure the relevant unit can by contacted by making available a direct line number, specific e-mail address or link from the website to address queries.
That said, local government has been using best practice in service provision, embracing the benefits of the effective use of modern technologies, social networking, web based collaboration, mobile apps and geographic information systems, GIS, in an interactive manner with the public. Such an approach can already be seen through the roll out of the FixYourStreetwebsite, which is structured around an interactive map, allowing anyone to identify the precise location of a range of non-emergency local problems they wish to report and receive a prompt response to explain what can be done to address the issue raised. Low cost, web based solutions such as FixYourStreetenable local authorities to remain at the forefront of service delivery and help deliver an important element of our e-Government strategy.
The Senator refers specifically to making available contact details for housing authorities. The broad range of housing services provided by local authorities impacts on the daily lives of a great many people. Housing authorities act in many capacities, including as landlords for some 130,000 families and individuals; as the first contact point for those in need of social housing supports and for housing needs assessment; as administrators of housing grants, with some 8,000 older people and people with a disability directly benefiting each year; as providers of emergency accommodation for those who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless; and as providers of loan finance for those who wish to purchase their own home. It is important, therefore, that those availing of these varied services, including those with special housing needs, can access help and information quickly and easily.
To their credit, housing authorities deliver these services to a consistently high standard, notwithstanding the constraints that apply in terms of resources, both financial and operational. The availability of easy to use access, such as in the case of the examples I cited, can help overcome these constraints. Local authorities should use contact arrangements that best suit the needs of their customers. The elected members of each local authority can and should play an important oversight role in ensuring their respective executive puts in place appropriate arrangements of this kind.
I am conscious of Senator Burke's comments on the type of service one should expect from local authorities. I assure him that the overall intent of the reforms of the local government system I introduced recently is to put the customer first. I will do everything possible, through oversight, to ensure this objective is realised in the years ahead.

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the Minister's response and his ongoing reforms. In light of the forthcoming election of local councillors and the reduction in their numbers, I ask the Department to set out a clear schedule for addressing this issue in the next 12 months. I ask the Minister to take on board my request.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I will take that on board. Not only that, I will be putting in place a national oversight commission to ensure the key performance indicators, in addition to customer service indicators and customer charters, are included as part of any regulations I will sign in the implementation of the Local Government Act 2014.