Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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79. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the implementation of the recommendations of the Moorhead report. [13634/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government Our Shared Future has a commitment to "implement the Moorhead Report on the Role and Remuneration of Elected Members within 12 months",with the aim of providing improved supports for councillors in fulfilling the demands of their role, thus facilitating the retention of existing councillors while also maximising the accessibility of local government to future candidates.

Over the past number of months, I have met several times with councillor representatives to listen to their views on the recommendations of the Moorhead Report.

Their feedback has been taken into consideration in the development of proposals for a reform of councillor pay. These proposals have been the subject of discussion between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the proposals agreed will be brought shortly to Govenment for approval. Changes to councillors' remuneration will then require new regulations to be given effect under section 142 of the Local Government Act 2001 with the consent of my colleague Mr Michael McGrath, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

In parallel, a working group of key stakeholders has also been established to examine the non-pay related recommendations of the Moorhead Report, to explore options for their implementation and to prepare an action plan for their delivery. The Group has met twice since February and is urgently progressing its work.