John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Local Government Reform Act 2014 saw the dissolution of 80 town councils and the Government has no plans for their reintroduction. Instead, the focus of current policy is to strengthen the operation of the 95 municipal districts established in 2014 and which cover the entirety of the State’s population as opposed to the 14% of the population previously represented by town councils.  

A report by my Department entitled “Municipal Governance – Districts, Towns and Local Electoral Areas”, which is with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government for consideration, contained an outline assessment of the potential cost of reintroducing town councils, along similar lines as previously existed, suggesting that the costs could be in the order of €28 million to €38 million per annum. Any detailed calculation of the full cost of reverting to town councils should also, in addition to the cost of re-establishing structures, take account of the potential financial impact of unwinding reforms introduced since 2014 in areas such as rate-setting.  

It should be noted that engagement with local authority members, as represented by the Association of Irish Local Government, has focused on strengthening the roles of municipal districts and achieving a clearer focus on towns within that context.

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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On 24 May 2019, the electors of the administrative areas of Cork City, Limerick City and County and Waterford City and County Councils will be asked to vote in a plebiscite on the Government’s proposal for a Mayor with executive functions to be directly elected by the people.  

An independent Committee, chaired by Henry Abbott, a retired judge of the High Court, and including representatives from the three local authorities, my Department and the Local Government Management Agency, as well as an independent legal adviser,  was established to facilitate and oversee the provision of impartial and factual information to the electorates in the three areas regarding the plebiscites.  Following its consideration of the issue of the costs involved, the Committee has stated in its guide to voters that "while the full costs are unknown, the additional costs of the Government's proposals to establish an office of directly elected Mayor with executive functions could range from around €313,000 to €450,000".       

The Local Government Act 2019 provides for the holding of the plebiscites. Under the Act, if the proposal is approved by a majority of voters in any of the three areas, the Minister will submit a report to the Oireachtas with legislative proposals for an election of a Mayor by the people of that area. The Oireachtas will then consider the legislation. If the law is passed, a direct election for Mayor with executive functions will take place for the area concerned.