COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, July 11, 2016
MOTION NO.9
MOTION: Councillor D. Looney
That this Council restates the primacy of Councillors elected to represent their area as the main democratic input of and representation for South Dublin County; that the Council directs that responses to queries be made in the first instance to Councillors; and that the Council directs that a staff and management protocol be adopted whereby no responses or answers to queries raised be given to non-Councillors ahead of Councillors.
REPORT:
The primacy of the role of Councillors is set out in the Local Government Act 2001, as amended, for example Section 63:
63 (1) The functions of a local authority are -
(a) to provide a forum for the democratic representation of the local community in accordance with section 64 [representational functions of local authorities], and to provide civic leadership for that community.
However Section 237A of the Act provides for the making of regulations relating to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas, which are provided for by Statutory Instrument S.I. No. 274/2003. The purpose of the SI is to require that local authorities conduct their dealings with parliamentary representatives, including those where such representatives are acting in a representational role on behalf of others, in accordance with these regulations. The SI specifies the following:
- It shall be an objective of a local authority that systems, procedures and time frames equivalent to those used by it in relation to correspondence from local authority members also apply in respect of parliamentary representatives.
- (1) It shall be an objective of a local authority to seek to deal with requests for access to information by a parliamentary representative as expeditiously as may be and in accordance with a proper level of customer service.
(2) Where a local authority provides access to information by its members by way of internet or other electronic media it shall notify a relevant representative of the nature of the information which is available and the means of access.
- (1) Nothing in these regulations shall be read as implying that a lesser level of customer service is to apply as regards the dealings of a local authority with its members or any other person
The SI sets out other requirements such as a minimum of one meeting to be held by the Chief Executive together with the Mayor with the Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas at least annually, however the above sections are thought to be most relevant to inform the debate on the above Motion.
South Dublin County Council has developed a unique online Membersreps system to support the issuing of responses directly to the elected Member in a timely manner, with over 8,000 responded to in 2015.