'Mini cabinets' recommended as potential means of oversight on local democracy

While not all of the recommendations will be included in the local democracy taskforce's report to the Government, a source said that they gave 'a flavour of the direction of travel'

Other recommendations include that individual councils be allowed to consider changes to the local property tax by increasing it up to 50% or down by 15%. 

"Mini cabinets", the ability to levy an overnight tax on tourists, and the ability to consider local property tax variations of up to 50% are among a number of potential changes to local democracy which have been shared with councillors.

The Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) has been shown a number of "emerging recommendations" which could form part of the final report of the local democracy taskforce, which is due to report to the Government in the coming weeks.

In a presentation, seen by the Irish Examiner , councillors have been told the taskforce's report could recommend that existing council oversight groups could be replaced with new elected members’ bodies called council oversight and governance committees.

This would lead to chairs of council strategy groups reporting to the council oversight and governance committees. In the presentation to councillors, these oversight committees are described as "mini cabinets".

Other recommendations include statutory timeframes for executive responses to councillors' one-off representations, that individual councils be allowed to consider changes to the local property tax by increasing it up to 50% or down by 15%, and that measures be explored "to ensure elected members have adequate administrative and secretarial support to effectively discharge their statutory, oversight, and representative roles".

Overnight and congestion charges

Another emerging recommendation is that local authorities be able to introduce "an overnight visitor charge and apply transport demand management measures where approved". These overnight and congestion charges would give councils more discretionary funding.

While not all of the recommendations will be included in the final report — the taskforce meets again this week — a source said that they gave "a flavour of the direction of travel".

Kerry councillor Jackie Healy-Rae, an AILG delegate, said the emerging recommendations would "make the working of local authorities more influential in the areas we represent".

"I would still have concerns about the funding models. We need more around discretionary funding, because we can't just rely on the LPT [local property tax].

"There will be things in the final report that people won't be happy with, and that I'm sure I won't be happy with, but the work and the speed that is happening at is very positive. To be fair to [local government minister] John Cummins, he's doing really good work on this."

Mr Healy-Rae said the Government needs to focus on the national needs of the country, adding that the day-to-day running of counties needs to be empowered to the councils. 

"I think we need to be given more autonomy," he said.

In a recent parliamentary response, Mr Cummins said the taskforce "will bring forward proposals which the Government will consider on matters relating to the structure, finance, functions and governance, and accountability of local government".

"I look forward to receiving and considering the recommendations of the taskforce in due course," he added.

• Paul Hosford is the Acting Political Editor with the Irish Examiner.