Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 635: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 275 of 25 October 2006, the progress made in regard to the enactment of Sections 55 to 62 of the Local Government Act 2001 since 21 February 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35688/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The procedures currently governing boundary alterations are set out in Part V of the Local Government Act 1991 and in the Local Government (Boundary Alteration) Regulations 1996. Part 8 of the Local Government Act 2001, which has yet to be commenced, provides that a local authority proposing to alter its boundary would follow similar procedures to those currently in force, but would make the application directly to an independent Local Government Commission which would then report to the Minister on the matter. The Commission would also report to the Minister on other specialised local government matters. I am considering the steps necessary to commence the relevant provisions of the 2001 Act and I am in discussion with local government interests, in that regard. In the meantime, local authorities may use the provisions of the 1991 Act to prepare a boundary alteration proposal.