Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which the White Paper on Local Government Reform will be published; and the steps that will be taken on local government reform following its publication. [44861/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Following Government approval, I launched a detailed policy statement for the reform of local government, Action Programme for Effective Local Government, earlier today. The programme sets out a clear vision for the future of local government and proposals to achieve it, with particular focus on strengthening structures at regional, county and sub-county levels, expanding the role of local government, maximising operational and organisational efficiency and improving governance, oversight, local political and executive leadership and citizen engagement.

The reform programme also reflects other work under way in relation to various aspects of local government, including local authority mergers, efficiency implementation, local government funding and alignment of local and community development with local government. The Action Programme, which is available on my Department’s website at , outlines implementation arrangements for the reform programme and certain issues which will be the subject of further policy development work. A number of related reports which have been published in conjunction with the Action Programme, including the report of the Steering Group on alignment of local development and local government and the report of the Waterford Local Government Committee, are also available on the site.