It’s time to deliver, councils warned

LOCAL government has about 10 years to prove itself or face abolition and replacement, delegates at a national conference were warned yesterday.

Councils and corporations must serve the public in a more efficient, open and transparent manner, a local authority boss stressed.

“It is now up to the members and staffs of local authorities right around the country to co-operate and show they can deliver to their local communities in an effective and efficient manner. Members have a key role to play in ensuring their local authorities survive,” Local Authority Members Association chairman Michael Lawlor said yesterday. The image of local representatives has been dented by tribunal revelations in Dublin Castle, he admitted at the Carlow conference.