Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Section 49 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that a town council may establish by resolution a municipal policy committee, MPC, to consider matters connected with the formulation, development, monitoring and review of policies which relate to the functions of the town council and to advise the town council on such matters. The Act further provides that any guidelines which have been issued in respect of strategic policy committees, SPCs, also apply to MPCs. The guidelines on the establishment and operation of SPCs, which were issued to local authorities in 1999 and were supplemented in 2004 after the local elections, also pertain to MPCs. The guidelines envisaged that MPCs would be more suited to larger town councils. There has, therefore, been no delay in issuing guidelines in the manner referred to in the question.