Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form the annual representational payment under the 2001 Local Government Act paid to town councillors in 2011 broken down by town council. [49549/12]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form the total expenses paid out to town councillors in 2011 broken down by town council. [49550/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 440 and 441 together.

It is a matter for each local authority to pay the annual representational payment s and my Department does not have details of payments by town councils on the basis of rates of payments approved by me.

The rates of representational payments for town councillors are as follows: €8,362 for borough councils, and the town councils of Athlone, Bray, Dundalk, Ennis and Tralee; €4,181 for other rating town councils together with the non-rating town councils of Balbriggan, Droichead Nua, Greystones, Leixlip, Mullingar, Portlaoise and Shannon; and €2,282 for all other non-rating town councils.

An Annual Expenses Allowance designed to defray, in a structured way, reasonable expenses incurred in attending meetings associated with council business is also payable at the following rates: €3,054 for borough councils, and the town councils of Athlone, Bray, Dundalk, Ennis and Tralee; €2,036 for other rating town councils together with the non-rating town councils of Balbriggan, Droichead Nua, Greystones, Leixlip, Mullingar, Portlaoise and Shannon; and €1,018 for all other non-rating town councils.

The Deputy may wish to consult the public registers, provided for in section 142(4)(g) of the Local Government Act 2001, maintained by the relevant local authorities by virtue of article 8 of the Local Government (Representational Payment for Members) Regulations 2001 in order to determine the amounts paid by individual town councils.

The Action Programme for Effective Local Government – Putting People First, provides for a review of the structures for and levels of all payments to councillors, to reduce overall costs and levels of payments to individuals, while having regard to the reformed sub-county structure and regional governance, and the need to ensure sufficient incentive for high-quality representation of the community.