Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which local government/local development alignment steering group was established; the person who is chairman of this group; the membership of same; the number of meetings that have been held; the number of reports and conclusions issued; the action taken or to be taken as a result of the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48582/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I established the Alignment Steering Group on 28 September 2011 with the following membership:

Mr Jim ley, Chairperson; business strategy consultant and company director;

Dr. Patricia O’Hara, regional policy expert and Adjunct Professor at the National Institute for Regional Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) NUI Maynooth;

Mr. Liam Keane; former public servant with the HSE;

Ms. Martina Moloney; Galway County Manager;

Mr. Gerry Kearney, former Secretary General of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs;

Ms Geraldine Tallon, Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

The Group met on 11 occasions and produced an interim report in December 2011 outlining some initial conclusions and suggestions for a way forward. The Group’s final report, which sets out the Group’s findings and recommendations, was published on 16 October 2012 and is available on my Department’s website at . The Steering Group’s recommendations as reflected in Putting People First: Action Programme for Effective Local Government will be implemented on a phased basis over the period 2012-2014.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which the local government efficiency review implementation group was established; the person who is chairman of this group; the membership of same; the number of meetings that have been held; the number of reports and conclusions issued; the action taken or to be taken as a result of the process [48583/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The local government efficiency review implementation group was established on 29 April 2011. The Implementation Group is independently chaired by Mr. Pat McLoughlin (Chief Executive, Irish Payments Services Organisation, and former chairperson of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group). In addition to the Chair, the members of the Implementation Group are as follows;

Mr. Des Dowling, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

Mr Garrett Fennell, Managing Director, GFC Consulting Ltd.

Mr. David Hearn, Consulting Partner in Charge, Deloitte

Ms. Anne O’Keeffe, Former Director, Office of Local Authority Management

The Group has met on sixteen occasions to date and submitted its first interim progress report to me in December 2011 which I asked to be developed further. A revised progress report was submitted and has been published on my Department’s website at .

Direct savings identified in the Local Government Efficiency Review due to efficiency measures in local government are estimated as totalling €345m, comprising some €195m achieved in the period 2010 to 2011 and estimated further savings of €150m to be achieved in the period up to the end of 2013. These savings have been achieved to date primarily from areas such as staffing and procurement and I expect that further efficiency savings will continue to accrue in these areas and also into the future following the examination of a shared services approach across a number of programmes, particularly in relation to treasury management, transactional HR, shared payroll systems, and ICT back office functions. This estimate does not include any reductions in expenditure due to reduced activity.

The focus of the Group is on furthering efficiency gains and in this context, it is working closely with the local government sector in examining a wide range of business processes that could yield significant efficiency savings should they be delivered through a shared services or a lead authority approach. I am advised that the Implementation Group is currently drafting its next progress report, which I expect to have submitted to me shortly.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which the independent group to review staffing levels in Cork City Council was established; the person who is chairman of this group; the membership of same; the number of meetings that have been held; the number of reports and conclusions issued; the action taken or to be taken as a result of the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48584/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The independent group to review staffing levels in Cork City Council was established in December 2011. The Implementation Group is independently chaired by Mr. Pat McLoughlin (Chief Executive, Irish Payments Services Organisation, and former chairperson of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group). In addition to the Chair, the members of the Implementation Group are as follows;

Mr. Des Dowling, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

Ms. Anne O’Keeffe, Former Director, Office of Local Authority Management

Mr Alf Smiddy, Chairman, Granite Consulting

Dr. Aodh Quinlivan, Director of BSc Government, Department of Government, University College Cork.

The Group has met on four occasions to date and its work is on-going . I am advised that the Group will publish a report once its consideration of all matters is concluded.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which the environmental law implementation group was established; the person who is chairman of this group; the membership of same; the number of meetings that have been held; the number of reports and conclusions issued; the action taken or to be taken as a result of the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48587/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Environmental Law Implementation Group ( ELIG ) was established in December 2011 to assist in the protection and enhancement of Ireland’s environment by seeking to support further transposition, implementation and enforcement of environmental law through improved communication between policy makers and environmental non-Government organisations, including An Taisce. The membership of the ELIG will vary, depending on the environmental legislation under consideration.

The ELIG is overseen by a Bureau, comprising one nominated representative from An Taisce, one nominated representative from the Environmental Pillar and two senior officials of my Department, which will normally meet bi-annually, with chairmanship of these meetings rotating between the members. Currently the nominated representatives are Ms. Attracta Ui Bhroin (An Taisce), Mr. Michael Ewing (Environmental Pillar) and Ms. Fiona Quinn and Mr. David Walsh of my Department. The role of the Bureau is to maintain an overview of all ELIG activity and to ensure that the ELIG facilitates a cohesive, consistent, efficient and timely approach to communication and consultation.

Since its establishment, the ELIG Bureau members have maintained regular contact by email and phone and have also met formally on two occasions - on 17 July and 24 September 2012. The next ELIG Bureau meeting is scheduled for 19 November 2012.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which the inter-departmental group on property tax was established; the person who is chairman of this group; the membership of same; the number of meetings that have been held; the number of reports and conclusions issued; the action taken or to be taken as a result of the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48588/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I established the independently-chaired Inter-Departmental Expert Group to consider the structures and modalities for an equitable Local Property Tax in the context of decisions to replace the Household Charge.

The Group had an independent chair, Dr. Don Thornhill, and comprised the following representation:

- Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

- Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

- Department of Finance

- Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

- Department of Social Protection, and

- Office of the Revenue Commissioners.

The Government has decided that the Local Property Tax will be collected and administered by the Revenue Commissioners.