Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 894: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the fact that the Local Government Act 2001 requires elected members of local authorities to submit a summary of the proceedings of conferences attended to their respective councils. [10697/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Section 142 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that a decision regarding representation by members of a local authority at a conference is a reserved function for the local elected members alone, subject to the council being satisfied that attendance is justified by reference to the benefits likely to accrue, the general interests of its administrative area and the local community, and the total cost involved.

The legislation requires that any member who attends such an event should submit a summary of the proceedings to the next ordinary meeting of the local authority. This provides a mechanism for the council to be informed of the proceedings of the conference by those members representing them at the event. It is a matter for each local authority to ensure that it complies with these requirements. Material recently supplied by city and county councils to my Department indicates that most local authorities have established reporting arrangements consistent with the above requirement.