Councils ‘will lose planning powers’
Under Environment Minister Phil Hogan’s Putting People First proposals, the country’s town councils will be replaced by municipal district councils from 2014.
Changes outlined in a document prepared by the Department of Environment’s advisory group to oversee the reorganisation of local government will be implemented over of the coming year.
The Transition Plan for Town Council Integration document sets out four phases for the changes to be implemented, with each council to set up an integration committee in order to be ready to begin the transfer of power in 2014.
Besides the loss of planning and housing functions, town engineers and town clerks will be expected to preside over expanded areas.
The details were revealed by mayor of Clonakilty, Cllr Phil O’Regan, at the 101st Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland (AMAI) conference at Inchydoney, Co Cork, yesterday.
Mayor O’Regan issued an impassioned plea against the reorganisation, branding it “a gross erosion of democracy”. “The truth is it’s a massively dangerous process. It’s tantamount to the abolition of any kind of democratic principles and it’s making government a great deal less accountable rather than more. People need to be aware what is happening,” she said.
The changes will see fewer elected councillors represent larger jurisdictions and town councils will effectively become subsidiaries of the county council rather than independent authorities. People will find that they might want to go to their local councillor about something, but they won’t have the local councillor,” mayor O’Regan said.
Mayor O’Regan pointed out that once town councils are abolished on Jun 1 next year they cannot be reinstated. In her opening address to delegates, she said levels of local representation will be decimated if the proposals are introduced.
“Democracy is being sacrificed to be replaced by some unbelievable system of no influence,” she said.
Clonakilty town councillor Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin (SF) outlined how people’s access to their local representatives in West Cork will be greatly diluted with the loss of Skibbereen, Clonakilty and Bantry town councils.
“Each council has nine councillors and with 12 county councillors, that’s 39 people doing their best for the people that elect them. Under the proposals that number will be cut to eight councillors representing 56,000 people. It’s a huge geographical area spanning from Clonakilty to the Kerry border,” he said.
