Kenny: Local governance will be fit for 21st century

The Taoiseach says local governance will be completely redesigned and relaunched as part of a new radical reform plan.

Savings of €420m are to be achieved through a range of measures in the first overhaul of local government in over 100 years.

Local councillors will be cut by 677 or by 42% from 1,627 to 950. Meanwhile, the number of councils will fall by 83 from 114 to just 31.

Five hundred local authority workers will also be made redundant over the next 18 months with local authority managers replaced by chief executives.

Enda Kenny says many of the changes announced today will have been introduced in time for the 2014 local elections.

“Local government needs radical change and reform in order to bring it into line and fit for purpose for the 21st century.

“This is a system of government that has not fundamentally changed since the 19th century.

“As a result, many areas are disjointed, fragmented and inefficient as the modern state has grown.”

In contrast, the incumbent president of the Municipal Authority of Ireland, says today is a "sad and poor day for local democracy".

Incoming president of the MAI, councillor Willie Callaghan has told Kfm that the lack of clarity on redundancies, in particular, is very worrying.

“It’s a terrible shame that we’re going to lose staff. I know I have staff in the town council worried about their jobs after an announcement was made like that without any consultation.”