Town councils to get extra powers in region revamp

TOWN councils are set to be given extra powers in the upcoming revamp of local government, sources close to environment minister Phil Hogan have indicated.

The councils look likely to be beefed up, while regional authorities now look set to be scrapped under plans being brought to the cabinet by Mr Hogan in the next few weeks, according to sources in Fine Gael.

The more urban-centred approach will see town councils responsible for surrounding rural areas, similar to the system used in countries such as France. It is not clear what repercussions this will have for county councils, but Mr Hogan is understood to be keen to get rid of duplication, those close to him have said.

Mr Hogan has told councillors he has accepted some key aspects of a submission by the representative association for town councils, the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland, including that “town local government should be the most fundamental tier of local democracy”.

In a recent address to councillors, Mr Hogan said he endorsed the assertion that councillors should not be ceremonial but should have “significant decision-making powers”.

“Towns are centres of life not only for the ever increasing numbers who live there, but also for a much wider population who look particularly to urban centres for the social, employment, public service, recreational, commercial, professional, educational and other requirements of their daily lives,” said Mr Hogan.

There was a natural cohesiveness between the main urban centres in every county and the surrounding smaller settlements and rural hinterland, he added.

The watering-down of town council powers needed to be reversed, he said. New functions likely to be vested in the wider town councils include job creation and greater roles in education and in health, alongside the strengthened joint policing roles town councils have been given in recent years.

Traffic and transport responsibilities are also likely to be taken from the county structures and given to towns.

A department letter to Killarney Town Council stressed the elected members would have “the lead role in any new arrangements” and stressed they would be given more responsibility.

“The minister will ensure that in the revised system, as many things as possible are decided at the closest possible level to local communities while eliminating aspects of the current system that five rise to inefficiency, duplication or lack of cohesion,” it said.

Meanwhile, the country’s eight regional authorities, which have responsibility for regional planning and for implementing the national development plan, are likely to be done away, sources have indicated. Regional assemblies are likely to remain, however.