Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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265. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the timeframe for the review of local government constituencies and a review of local government structures as outlined in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45569/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for a Partnership Government sets out a number of requirements in relation to local government reform. This involves the submission of a report to Government and the Oireachtas on potential measures to boost local government leadership and accountability, and to ensure that local government funding, structures and responsibilities strengthen local democracy. The Programme also references some specific issues to be considered such as the concept of directly elected mayors in cities, devolution of new powers to local authorities, reducing the size of local electoral areas, and town council status.

Work on the report is at an advanced stage. The process of consultation with relevant stakeholders, as required by the Programme for Partnership Government, is under way and I hope to be in a position to have a report available for consideration by Government in the coming weeks. It is intended that the review of local electoral areas will commence very shortly and will be completed in good time before the 2019 local elections.