Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he expects the next report on the 42 national service indicators for local authorities; his plans to review those indicators; the arrangements that will be made to involve consumers of local authority services in the review of the indicators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36511/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The next report on local authority service indicators, which will be in respect of 2006, is due to be published by the Local Government Management Services Board (LGMSB) in July 2007. The first two such reports were published in mid 2005 and 2006 respectively, and copies are available in the Oireachtas library.

I have asked the Local Government Customer Services Group, which drew up the current set of indicators, to carry out a review. The group is representative of my Department, local authorities (at both elected member and official levels) the LGMSB, the Local Government Computer Services Board and the Institute of Public Administration. Extensive consultations are being carried out as part of the review, including with local authorities, the Irish Business and Employers Confederation and Chambers Ireland. Local authorities have also been asked to take account of their customers' perspectives, when providing input to the review. In addition the Independent Assessment panel, which I established to quality assure the service indicators, is being consulted. I am satisfied that the Customer Services Group is consulting widely on the review and I am looking forward to receiving their recommendations in due course. It is envisaged that amendments to the indicators arising from the review will apply from 2008 on.