Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the status of his plans for local government reform, including the provision of directly elected mayors in cities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16411/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The better local government modernisation programme has brought significant benefits to local government. These include constitutional recognition and guaranteed local elections; enhanced levels of funding; strengthened political and management structures; an updated legal framework as well as an efficiency agenda focused on improved corporate planning, IT, human resources, and customer service. Updated financial management systems, facilitating better financial management and planning, have also been introduced and a new initiative to improve service standards with an extended range of performance indicators was launched last year. A major independent study to identify future funding requirements and options for local government will be completed shortly.

Local government modernisation provides an enhanced role for elected members in policy formulation and review and in developing an integrated strategy for the economic, social and cultural development of their areas. This is undertaken in partnership with representatives of the sectoral interests through the establishment of strategic policy committees, SPCs, and the county-city development boards, respectively. The role of the locally elected representative has been further strengthened under the modernisation programme by the creation of a single mandate for councillors from the 2004 local elections and also by the improved financial support framework and better training-information opportunities.

Quality customer service is a key pillar of the modernisation programme. All of the various elements of the programme are centred around this objective. Substantial resources have been provided by my Department to local authorities on specific initiatives to improve service provision. These include €31 million in support for a one-stop-shop programme and €9.8 million to improve efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery through the use of technology.

I am determined to intensify and consolidate the gains being made through the modernisation programme and, in particular, to promote improvements in performance and in service delivery by local authorities to their communities.

With regard to directly elected mayors, legislation providing for the direct election of mayors was repealed by section 7 of the Local Government (No. 2) Act 2003. Accordingly, the question of directly elected mayors does not now arise.