Local Government Reform Submission

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Received an acknowledgement today from the Dept of the Environment that my submission on Local Government reform would be considered in Minister John Gormley's Green Paper.

 

Have you had your say yet? 

 

From: Eoin Corrigan [mailto:Eoin_Corrigan@environ.ie]
Sent: Wed 15/08/2007 15:58
To: Cllr Keith Martin (Westport)
Cc: Feargal O'Coigligh
Subject: Re: Local Government Reform Submission

Dear Cllr Martin,

Many thanks for your views concerning the reform of local government.

l will ensure that your views are given consideration and thereby
contribute to the development of the Green Paper on local government
reform.

Regards,

Eoin Corrigan
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government




>>> "Cllr Keith Martin (Westport)" <kmartin@cllr.westporttc.ie>
11/08/2007 15:43:35 >>>
Submission on local government reform

By Cllr Keith Martin, Westport Town Council.

33 Pairc na Coille

Westport

Mayo



Ireland has one of the weakest forms of local government in Europe.  It
is essentially a form of central government dominated local
administration, more appropriate to a colony than an independent modern
European country.



It is appalling that we have centrally appointed managers making
executive decis ties and towns instead of the
people's representatives.  This lack of accountability results in the
unelected management of local authorities being too powerful when they
really should have no power at all.  Management should be there to
manage and advise not to set policy or take decisions.



Unlike Europe local authorities in Ireland have no real say in issues
such as education, health, policing, transport and traffic which are all
vital issues which impact on everyone's day to day life.



I believe that the best government is the government which takes place
at the lowest possible and realistic level.  I believe reform of local
government is vital.



I propose the following measures as vital to any real reform

*       The position of County/City/Town Manager must be abolished and
replaced by a Chief Executive of the Council. Chief Executives will
exercise a limi nctions, similar to those which
were originally intended in the City and County Management Acts. Chief
Executives will have no policy making functions other than to assist and
advise the elected Council in the making of policy.

*       Each Local Authority must have a directly elected mayor for the
five year term of the Council with executive powers.  It is no good
directly electing a mayor who has no powers over the executive staff.
The powers of the Mayor could be tempered by the councillors.  This
office would carry with it responsibility for most decisions in
association with a small cabinet of councillors.

*       We must strengthen the role of the elected council, in order to
provide the citizen with accountable public services. Councillors will
have power to seek accountability from any agency, whether public or
private, which is providing public services in the ill have power to seek reports from service providers and to question,
in public, the appropriate managers on aspects of their service.

*       Councils should have a consumer protection role in relation to
private sector services. Private refuse collectors, telecoms, private
schools, local rail and airline services, local banks and cable TV
providers will be amenable to public questioning by the elected
representatives of the people, on their public service remit.

*       Town councils should be expanded to take in greater areas of
newly expanded housing.

*       Local government needs to be funded directly, independent of
central government with central government providing money for devolved
powers such as schools, policing, health and traffic management.



The benefits of a directly elected mayor at town and city/county level
are m nbsp;     1.      Visible and accountable leadership.
        2.      Likely to be powerful leaders by nature.
        3.      Open up politics to civic leaders and business people.
        4.      Will wield "clout" on behalf of their authority with
national government and other public and private bodies.
        5.      Transparency of the directly elected Mayor would lead to
less corruption, not more.



The current system of local government doesn't work.  It is distant,
unresponsive and unanswerable to the citizens it is supposed to serve.



We need to give authorities directly elected mayors with a mandate and
vision for their town's future, giv to effect
change and policy and remove the role of officials from policy and let
mayors make the day to day decisions based on advice from their
officials.





<mailto:eoin_corrigan@environ.ie>

Yours sincerely
Councillor Keith Martin
Westport Town Council
Phone/Fax 098 24852
Mobile 086 0691182
Website www.VoteKeithMartin.com