Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the €5 to €9 million savings that he maintained will arise in Putting People First with the merger of Waterford City and county councils under the headings payroll, tendering, procurement, services and other. [47708/12]

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the cost of implementing the merger of Waterford city and county councils. [47709/12]

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a timescale for the proposal to merge Waterford city and count councils. [47710/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 679 to 681, inclusive, together.

I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 51 and 428 of 23 October 2012.

The Report of the Waterford Local Government Committee estimated savings, primarily payroll related, associated with the merger of Waterford City and County Councils at €3.87m. In addition, the Committee has indicated that further savings in the range of €1.3m to €5m, can be made in operational and administrative expenses. The amalgamation of authorities will also have implications both for local authority revenue and costs, including some one-off costs associated with the transition to the new arrangements which can be expected to arise.

As indicated in the Government’s Action Programme for Effective Local Government, Putting People First, the primary purpose of local authority unification is to strengthen the effectiveness of local government in the areas concerned and its capacity to promote their development. The Committee indicated, in addition to the estimated financial savings, that the benefits from a merged authority, particularly with regard to its potential impact on economic and social development, outweigh any transitional costs involved and provide the best long-term option for local government in Waterford.