Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 355: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of employees of local authorities that have been members of councils since 2001. [16703/04]

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 356: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will outline per local authority, the numbers of councillors who are full-time employees of that local authority in which they are members; the grades of those persons; if they complied with regulations under the Local Government Act 2001 when first becoming members of each authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16710/04]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 358: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the regulations will be signed into law that permit persons working in health boards, local authorities and so on to stand for election; the number of persons who work for such bodies which this affects; and the number of persons in such positions who will be standing for the coming local elections. [16235/04]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 355, 356 and 358 together.

The Local Government Act 2001 (Section 161) Order 2004, which provides that certain junior grades of local authority employees — broadly up to the level of clerical officer — may become councillors, was made on the 19 May 2004 and has been laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas. My Department does not have information on the number of local authority employees who have been nominated as candidates at the June local elections, and it does not formally seek such information on councillors' status following local elections. However, I understand that there are approximately 25 councillors who are also local authority employees. Relevant criteria for health board employees are a matter for the Minister for Health and Children.