Written answers

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Local Government Reform

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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937. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will reconsider proposals to abolish urban councils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38041/13]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Government's Action Programme for Effective Local Government sets out Government decisions for a range of measures in relation to local government structures, functions, funding, governance and operational matters. Chapter 6 of the Programme sets out policy decisions to replace town councils with a new comprehensive model of municipal governance based around principal towns to strengthen local government within counties and address weaknesses and anomalies in the current system . The recommended local electoral areas detailed in the Boundary Committee Report , published on 30 May 2013 , will form the basis for configuration of the new municipal districts I understand from the Report that the Committee was mindful of the need to integrate towns and boroughs into the new governance structures when determining the local electoral areas.

Cities and boroughs will retain mayoral status, which will also apply in the case of districts with county towns and towns over a certain population, within the new municipal district system.

I am confident that the new governance arrangements within counties will enable councillors to represent their constituents more effectively than under current arrangements. An important benefit of the new system is that different functions will be performed by members at county and district levels. This will result in greater effectiveness than the current parallel town and county system, which involves a significant element of duplication of functions, as well as other weaknesses and anomalies.

The division of functions between county and district levels will be determined on the basis of what is most relevant to each level. Local matters will be dealt with at municipal district level, while those of wider strategic application will be decided at county level, without duplication between county and district jurisdictions. The elected members will perform a range of important reserved functions at district level on a fully devolved basis, subject to certain requirements in relation to consistency with overall local authority policy.

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