A Labour Party bill proposes restoration of town councils. Justin Sinnott looks at how the proposals would operate in practice.

Rapidly growing satellite town Carrigaline could be divided into two local election areas.

An average 35% reduction in funding for for community and voluntary organisations is having a detrimental impact on community development, writes Rory Hearne.

ONE believes town councils were the bee’s knees of local democracy, the other that they were an “ineffectual talking shop”.

Billed by its architect, Environment Minister Phil Hogan, as the most radical change in over a century, the looming reform of local government is the nub of heated debate on whether or not it will exclude communities from decision making.

The alignment of local government and local development will bring public oversight, says Phil Hogan.

A renowned beauty spot and a magnet for tourists for more than 250 years, Killarney, which likes to dub itself the “tourism capital”, has always seen itself as a place apart.

THERE are groups all over the country busy making preparations for a traditional Irish wake – these are town councillors whose councils will disappear next month under what has been described by Environment Minister Phil Hogan as the most fundamental and radical reform of local Government structures since the 19th century.

HOW many councillors does it take to change a government?

A new chamber is to be built for councillors in a Dublin local authority because the current chamber is not big enough to accommodate extra members to be elected under new local government reforms.