Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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152. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the programme for Government commitments in regard to town councils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35130/22]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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A key commitment in the Programme for Government – Our Shared Future, is to consider the Institute of Public Administration's (IPA) Review of Municipal Districts with a view to strengthening local democracy and identifying local needs and initiatives needed to strengthen and grow our communities, villages and towns in a sustainable manner. We have committed to ensuring a strong voice for towns at the heart of local authority decision making. Municipal districts are a key decision-making component of local government, with specified reserved powers. Each municipal district can include several towns and their hinterlands.

On foot of this commitment, my Department has undertaken an assessment of Municipal Districts to determine the supports and improvements required to enhance their operation. A fundamental step in this process was conducting local authority surveys and workshops to obtain the views of those working in the local government sector. The reports of the findings from both my Departments surveys and workshops are available at the following link on my Department's website.

Following these findings and a detailed examination of the IPA’s Review of Municipal Districts, certain key themes have emerged that would support and further enhance the operation of Municipal Districts. As a result, Best Practice Recommendations for the operation of Municipal Districts have now been identified.

My Department will issue a Circular regarding theses Best Practice Recommendations to all local authorities in the coming months. It is intended that implementing these practices, where appropriate, will contribute to greater efficiency and effectiveness in the overall operation of Municipal Districts, boost local leadership and support the sustainable development of our communities.