Report of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group

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managed and resourced effectively, within agreed achievable timescales through an appropriate framework between the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Department of Health and Children, local authorities and HSE to manage the process. It is envisaged that agreed proposals will be reflected in the new national housing strategy for people with a disability which is currently being developed. 10.1.23 The Group also notes the recent amalgamation of the functions of a number of housing bodies including the National Building Agency, Affordable Homes Partnership, the Centre for Housing Research, and the Dublin Homeless Agency (with regard to certain functions of relevance nationally) into a single agency, the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency. Apart from producing efficiencies in supporting the work of local authorities in this area of service delivery, the new consolidated Agency should have as part of its remit the dissemination of best practice across local authorities in areas such as repair work on vacancies, administrative procedures to ensure that new tenants occupy vacant dwellings as soon as possible and the processing of adaptation grants on a shared service basis to secure efficiency gains. Recommendations: 10.1.24 In summary, the Group considers that the new direction implied by a fundamental shift in the means of supplying social housing calls for a reexamination of the profile of housing sections within local authorities. Further potential savings are also possible through exploring options for streamlining and sharing service provision in areas such as housing assessment and the inspection of buildings. A greater emphasis is needed at local level to identify and replicate best practice in housing management, with the advice and assistance of housing support structures. 10.1.25 Thus the Group recommends that: • Housing sections within local authorities be reconfigured to reflect the more varied sources of housing supply, arising from a greater emphasis on sourcing social housing units from the private sector through RAS and long-term leasing; • A single building inspectorate service could be established on a regional basis to streamline the approach to the inspection of property. This should be examined to see how a single inspection could serve most if not all purposes across housing, planning, fire and other functions – this process should also be facilitated through the establishment of joint administrative areas (see section 6.4); • The time needed to let and re-let social housing properties be further reduced to improve supply and reduce costs, and encourage a more efficient use of housing stock; • The use of the professional services that are available from in-house staff, from other local authority staff on a shared service basis or from 116
the new Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency be maximised to support the procurement and management of housing projects; • Housing assessments carried out by one local authority be valid in others to eliminate duplicate assessments, and the possibility of establishing specialist teams to carry out housing needs assessment on behalf of several local authorities should be evaluated; • Social housing rents due to local authorities be deducted directly from social welfare payments to reduce overheads associated with revenue collection in this area and to substantially reduce arrears, as well as to streamline processes for local authority tenants and reduce the time they have to spend dealing with rent collectors. This should also be a condition of new tenancies; • Opportunities for partnership with other local authorities in the provision of relevant services for the homeless be explored to pool resources and improve access, as appropriate, and partnership with the HSE be continued or enhanced where necessary, having regard to the respective roles of the agencies; • ICT systems used by local authorities and those bodies to which they report must be made compatible; • The housing-related functions of town councils be transferred to county councils; • County councils be allowed delegate some local aspects of housing service provision to towns; and • The dissemination of best practice across local authorities be a central element of the remit of the newly consolidated Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency. 10.1.26 The total value of the savings and extra charges identified above is €30 million in a full year of implementation. Financial Summary: Through a combination of savings and measures a total of €30 million can be achieved based on the following items 1. Maximise use of in-house / local authority / Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency professional services wherever possible – €2 million (for 2011, but likely to decline significantly as housing construction declines) 2. Savings resulting from a combination of greater outsourcing and efficiencies in housing maintenance, reductions in vacancy times from re-lettings, and implementation of best practice identified by the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency – €3 million 3. Social housing rents from existing and new tenants to be paid directly to local authorities by Department of Social Protection to reduce overheads associated with rent collection – €25 million 4. Transfer of housing functions from town to county council level – (see section 5) Total Amount: €30 million 117
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Report of the Local Government Effi
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5. Organisational Efficiency Issues
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14. Recommendations 14.1 Recommenda
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associated Government Statement, ne
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more focussed than previously on mu
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ating town councils is largely repr
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• The provision of quality custom
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1.7 Compliance Requirements on Loca
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2.1 National Public Finances 2. Bud
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Figure 2.2 - Total Local Authority
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evenue were needed for the local go
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Figure 2.3 - Sources of Local Autho
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Figure 2.4 -Sources of Local Author
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Figure 2.5 - Local Authority Curren
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Payroll Expenses Table 2.4 - Breakd
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2. Reintroducing domestic water cha
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Income €m € 1,600.0 € 1,400.0
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3. Local Government Experience of E
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maintenance are provided by the cou
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well as reductions in the number of
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4. Context - Looking Forward 4.1 Na
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4.2.6 Aside from keeping costs down
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5. Organisational Efficiency Issues
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statutorily vested in certain ratin
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5.5.6 Roads are classified into nat
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the majority of town councils, a pl
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5.7 Other Local Bodies 5.7.1 A smal
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• County council offices / area o
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Figure 6.1 - Local Authority Staff
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Figure 6.2 - Staffing per 1,000 Pop
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Figure 6.5 - Staffing Per 1,000 Pop
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Cluster Data Cluster Mayo Roscommon
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Page 67 and 68: ut this figure varies from 22% to 5
Page 69 and 70: eplacement with lower level staff w
Page 71 and 72: Corporate Services, HR, IT, and Fin
Page 73 and 74: to provide services in the corporat
Page 75 and 76: Recommendations: 6.11.1 In summary,
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Page 79 and 80: through open recruitment. Opportuni
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Page 83 and 84: 7.6.3 Local authorities should cons
Page 85 and 86: 8. Shared Services 8.1 Shared Servi
Page 87 and 88: 8.2.6 Many parts of the United Stat
Page 89 and 90: 8.4 Shared ‘Back Office’ Servic
Page 91 and 92: 8.4.12 For example, recruitment to
Page 93 and 94: approach which will be used to asse
Page 95 and 96: enefits in terms of pooling resourc
Page 97 and 98: while also improving the service fo
Page 99 and 100: Implementation Group suggested in s
Page 101 and 102: 9.2.4 The Local Government e-Procur
Page 103 and 104: forms are now captured online. This
Page 105 and 106: Table 9.1 - Non-Pay Items Procured
Page 107 and 108: 9.5.10 LAQuotes is used by the vast
Page 109 and 110: sectoral level, to promote exchange
Page 111 and 112: 10.1 Housing 10. Efficiencies in Pr
Page 113 and 114: 10.1.9 Two issues arise in this res
Page 115: that may arise in this respect as p
Page 119 and 120: 10.2.6 To date, the emphasis of tol
Page 121 and 122: 10.2.14 The Group also noted the la
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Page 125 and 126: 10.3.11 It would also facilitate th
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Page 129 and 130: Financial Summary: Through a combin
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Page 133 and 134: educe the number of such transactio
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Page 149 and 150: management, etc. Use of professiona
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legislation provides that arrears o
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Recommendations: 13.5.1 In summary,
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14.1 Recommendations 14. Recommenda
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25. Financial performance indicator
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Housing 48. Housing sections within
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Planning monitoring by other public
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Local Government and the Wider Publ
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that just because these recommendat
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Appendix 1 - List of Submissions Re
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Appendix 2 - Local Government Effic
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Gross Current Income by Source and
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County Councils Housing and Buildin
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Town Councils Housing and Building
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Non-Rating Town Councils (1) Paymen
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Regional Assembly Payments Receipts
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Local Authority Current Expenditure
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Town Council Population Size (Censu
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Appendix 5 - Local Government Net B
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Former Town Commissioners 2010 Net
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Appendix 7 - Performance Indicators
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Appendix 9 - Unaccounted for Water
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Appendix 11 - Membership of County
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Report of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group

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