Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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116. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the north west assistant general secretary of the IMPACT trade union which represents the majority of staff in the Sligo local authorities said last week that the appointment of a new Sligo County Manager provides the incumbent with an opportunity to reconnect with council staff and the citizens of Sligo; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the union states that it will be encouraging a more open and inclusive style of management; if he will take steps to encourage the management team in Sligo County Council to become more open and inclusive in its style of management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48647/13]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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117. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 11 of the 12 serving councillors on Sligo Borough Council boycotted the retirement function for the outgoing Sligo County Manager; if an official from his Department represented the Department at the function; if he will identify the official who represented his Department; the purpose of his Department representative attending the function; the total costs incurred by his Department in respect of salary, overtime payment, travel and subsistence and so on for the said official; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48648/13]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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125. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the only member of council staff obliged to attend a statutory meeting of a local authority is a county-city manager who designates themselves meetings administrator; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the formal calling of a council meeting must be done by notice from a meetings administrator; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that on a number of occasions when the Sligo County Manager wanted meetings of Sligo Borough Council to take place he designated himself as meetings administrator and issued notice for meetings in accordance with the Local Government Act 2001; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that on occasions when the County Manager did not want meetings of the borough council to take place he designated another official who refused to carry out the duties of meetings administrator; if regulations can be introduced to ensure that a county manager carries out his-her statutory duties in respect of the calling of meetings of a local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48722/13]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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126. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of meetings with his Department officials, a person (details supplied), the outgoing Chairperson of the County and City Managers Association, participated in; the dates of the said meetings; the purpose of each meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48723/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 116, 117, 125 and 126 together.

I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 681 and 706 of 5 November 2013, which sets out the position in relation to arrangements for meetings of local authorities. I have no function in the assignment of duties with in a local authority as this , along with the broader management of the local authority, is a matter for each County/City Manager concerned.

I have no function in relation to the decisions of local authority elected members as regards whether or not to attend retirement events.

As is usual in the case of events to mark the retirement of a County Manager, my Department was represented at the function to mark the retirement of the Sligo County Manager, Mr . Hubert Kearns on 1 November 2013. On that occasion, my Department was represented by a Principal Officer, Mr . Jim Ganley. The function was held outside normal office hours and Mr. Ganley , who is headquartered at my Department’s offices in Ballina, attended the function at his own expense and at no cost to my Department.

While no central record exists in my Department regarding meetings involving my Department and Mr. Kearns while Chairman of the County and City Managers ’ Association (CCMA), the Table below sets out available information in relation to meetings of this kind.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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118. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that under the management of the Sligo County Manager (details supplied) and their management team, Sligo County Council has had the highest overall deficit balance of all county and city councils as outlined in its respective annual financial statements; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Sligo County Council had a deficit of €2,815,649 on its revenue account for the year ending 31 December 2008, a deficit of €3,232,961 for the year ending 31 December 2009, a deficit of €2,463,505 for the year ending 31 December 2010, a deficit of €2,973,000 for the year ending 31 December 2011 and a deficit of €2,455,000 for the year ending 31 December 2012; that the council's total revenue-capital debt is now in excess of €80 million and growing; if he will consider amending the Local Government Act 2001 to allow the new County Manager to appoint a different management team when they take up their appointment with Sligo County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48649/13]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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119. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will elaborate on his recent statement on RTE’s "Prime Time" programme when he said Sligo is one of the reasons we are reforming local authorities; if at any stage his Department expressed dissatisfaction with the Sligo County Manager and the council management team’s regarding the management of the council’s finances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48650/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 119 together.

It is a matter for each local authority, including Sligo County Council, to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. The elected members of a local authority have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which include adopting the annual budget and authorising borrowing, and are democratically accountable for all expenditure by the local authority.

To enhance the financial management and audit control systems in local authorities, an audit committee, with both councillor and expert external membership, is now in place in each county and city council. The functions of an audit committee are to review financial and budgetary reporting practices and procedures within a local authority, foster the development of best practice in the internal audit function, review auditors’ reports and special reports and assess follow-up action by management, assess and promote efficiency and value for money, review risk management systems and make such recommendations to the authority as the committee considers appropriate in respect of such matters.

While it is a matter for individual local authorities, including Sligo County Council, to manage their own day-to-day finances in a prudent and sustainable manner, my Department is in regular and ongoing consultation with the Council in relation to its financial position.

The Action Programme for Effective Local Government, Putting People First , which was published in October 2012, sets out Government policy in terms of a comprehensive range of reforms in relation to local government structures, functions, funding, governance and operational matters. A key objective of the local government reform programme is to address weaknesses in the existing system, including greater financial discretion for local authorities. These issues are being addressed in the reform programme, particularly in the context of the Local Government Bill 2013, which is currently at Second Stage in the Dáil.

Appointments to senior management positions in local authorities are made in accordance with the appropriate legislation governing appointments to the local government sector. The selection and appointment of senior local authority employees, including Directors of Service, is a matter for the Public Appointments Service. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each City and County Manager is responsible for staffing arrangements in individual local authorities.

I have no plans to amend the Local Government Act 2001 in the manner set out in the question.