„Putting People First – Action Programme for Effective Local Government” published on 16 October 2012 reflects principles of international bodies such as OECD and the Council of Europe and is informed by recent national reports such as the Local Government Efficiency Review (LGER), the report of the Local Development/Local Government Steering Group, by previous work on local government reform, and by wide consultation. The reform programme takes account of the prevailing economic circumstances in which both administrative and political elements of the public service at all levels are undertaking radical restructuring and change.
The Action Programme will implement the most far-reaching changes since the present system of local government began in the 1890s. It sets out the reforms the Government has approved in all of the main areas of local government–its structures, functions, resources, operational arrangements and governance. Amongst these are the following:
– Local government structures at sub-county, county and regional levels, are being streamlined and strengthened. There will be a reduction of some 500 councillors involving the replacement of 114 local authorities with 31 integrated authorities organised on the basis of municipal districts within counties.
– Three sets of local authorities i.e. Tipperary North and South County Councils and the City and County Councils of Limerick and Waterford will be merged after the 2014 local elections with an interim dual management arrangement up to that time.
– Municipal districts will be established all over the country drawn as far as possible around existing town authorities and larger non-municipal towns and their hinterlands. The boundaries of the municipal districts will be drawn up on the basis of a review by an independent statutory committee based on relevant parameters including the position of towns.
– Councillors will be elected simultaneously to both municipal district and county council, with members in common instead of the current separate town and county membership whereby municipal towns have double representation.
– The elected members will perform a substantial range of “reserved” functions at district level on a fully devolved basis, including: a local policy/regulatory role in areas such as planning, roads, traffic, housing, environmental services, recreation, amenity and community development; formal civic functions; a general representational and oversight role; and citizen/community engagement.
– There will be a stronger role for local government in promoting economic development because of the economic impact of its functions generally, its links with enterprise, its local knowledge and leadership, economic initiatives by many local authorities, and its new local development and enterprise functions.
– Local government will have a central role in the oversight and planning of local and community development programmes, through arrangements based on the report of a Steering Group on the alignment of the local government and local development sectors.
– Regional structures and functions will be revised and strengthened with replacement of the eight regional authorities and two assemblies by three new regional assemblies to perform an updated range of strategic functions.
– A rigorous programme of efficiency measures, organisational streamlining and robust performance evaluation is being implemented to ensure that local government is organised and operates as efficiently as possible, achieves the highest standards of performance and provides the best possible quality of service and responsiveness to customers, citizens and taxpayers.
– A secure and sustainable system of local funding will be established with provision for an appropriate element of local authority financial responsibility to underpin local democratic decision-making.
– A range of reforms are being implemented to strengthen and clarify governance and related aspects of the local government system, including local government oversight, accountability, policy-development, ethics and citizen engagement, and the status and role of the elected council and executive.
– A major programme of legislation will be put in place to provide for the wide range of measures in time for the 2014 local elections.
– Other implementation arrangements include a national steering group to formulate implementation details of new sub-county arrangements and oversee the process generally, in conjunction with local reorganisation arrangements in each county; a statutory local government committee to provide recommendations on the configuration of municipal districts/electoral areas; the mergers of local authorities in Limerick and Tipperary to proceed on the basis of the Implementation Plans of the Implementation Groups; an Implementation Group (recently established) to direct the reorganisation process in Waterford; and, further implementation arrangements to be established as necessary for particular aspects of the programme.