COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, June 09, 2008

HEADED ITEM NO. 5(f)

REPORT OF ADJOURNED ORGANISATION, PROCEDURE AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, 5th June, 2008

Report on Green Paper on Local Government

The following report was presented to the Members at the adjourned Organisation Procedure and Finance Committee meeting held on 5^th June 2008:

“Background

The environment in which local government in Ireland operates has greatly altered in the past 20 years. Local Government has played a key role in shaping and facilitating change through the provision of infrastructure and new services as well as strengthening the sector’s capacity to represent local communities through Better Local Government.  However major changes which have occurred in Ireland in recent years have confronted local government with a new set of challenges.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to reform local government to make it more transparent and more responsive to its customers.

Towards Stronger Local Democracy

The key proposals are set out below.

• Greater local leadership, accountability and connection with the citizen can be achieved through the provision of directly elected mayors for all counties and cities. As a complementary measure, the chairs of each local authority’s Strategic Policy Committees should be elected for the full term of the council. 
• The managerial system providing impartial, professional administration and guidance to continue. However, it is suggested that mayors might be assigned certain key powers of initiative and that, over time, their role in overseeing the work of the local authorities, local development agencies and national agencies at local level should evolve further.
• Regional Mayor for Dublin, elected directly by the people of Dublin, with defined strategic functions including planning, housing, waste, water provision and waste water disposal. The paper proposes that the Mayor would act as Chair of the Dublin Transport Authority.  Detailed consideration will need to be given to the administrative and institutional supports necessary for the proper functioning of a mayoral office in Dublin. 
• The establishment of a mayoral office in Dublin, with a regional remit, suggests that consideration should be given to revised structures for local governance in other key Gateways, such as Limerick, Waterford and Sligo, to overcome fragmentation of local authority responsibilities while respecting county boundaries.
•  Town government to be strengthened by allowing for greater devolution of local decisions from county to town level, within overall county level strategies.
•  Initiatives are put forward to give citizens a greater role in local decision making including

              o       Participating in budgeting, 

              o       Petition rights

              o       binding local plebiscites

              o       development of town meetings to foster direct and meaningful contact between councils and the citizen.

• Need for continuous change, flexibility and imagination in service delivery. Greater movement towards the sharing services between local authorities is also advocated.
• Showcasing of Local Authority achievements to be encouraged. 
• The need for proper funding of local government is recognised, including autonomy in fund raising increases, local discretion and accountability. The debate on the financing of local government will feed into the work of the Commission on Taxation.
• Need for greater cohesion between local government law and general ethics legislation. A clearer oversight role for the Standards in Public Office Commission is proposed. It is recommended that local electoral expenditure limits should be introduced but that the bureaucracy involved in any new procedures should be kept to a minimum.

 Next Steps

Public consultation period up to 31^st July 2008, with view to publishing a White Paper later in 2008. The next local elections will take place in 2009 and the White Paper will address the timing of new reforms.

Issues have been identified which may have a direct impact on South Dublin County Council.   It is proposed to put a Working Group together from party leaders and officials to formulate a submission on behalf of the council. Baseline information and statistical date will be supplied to the members to assist with preparation of submission.”        End of Committee Report

Following discussion it was unanimously agreed to accept the Manager’s recommendation to establish a working group with representatives from the various parties to formulate a submission on behalf of the Members.  It was unanimously agreed that Councillors C. Keane, G. O’Connell, T. McDermott and J. Hannon would represent the Members on this working group.  A date for the first meeting of this group to be determined at the June Council Meeting.