Report of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group

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enefits of centralising specialised skills in these areas as a combined service available to several local authorities, the extension of RDO responsibilities into these areas has the potential to yield savings. 10.2.10 The Group considers that there are opportunities to streamline the number of RDO locations, and that each RDO should serve several county areas. It is not clear why a number of the Offices only serve a single county area, and there would be opportunities for economies of scale here in light of the specialised nature of the work done. The Group understands that a reduction in the number of RDO offices and an extension of their roads functions could lead to a saving of some €5 million on 2009 levels and efficiencies of the order of €5 million per annum. The new RDO structures should reflect any new regional structures which may be proposed in the White Paper on Local Government (see section 1.5). RDOs are financed from the capital budget through the Department of Transport, the combined effect would be to increase the funding available for direct investment by up to €10 million per annum, some of which has already been achieved. 10.2.11 The Group also believes that the RDOs are a good model of shared technical support services which could be replicated in other local authority service areas. Investment in the inter-urban routes between the major cities is now largely complete. With a viewing to maximising value for money, spare capacity in the RDOs could be utilised in other service areas. The Group suggests that specialised skills such as procurement, land acquisition, project management through planning and construction and asset management, would also be beneficial as support services to other local authority services involving strategic infrastructural investments, such as water, waste management and public lighting. The NRA has also indicated to the Group its willingness to provide support and advice to local authorities based on its expertise in PPPs. In that context, the Group suggests that the RDO model be expanded to incorporate technical support services to a number of local authority service areas and not simply be confined to road-related work. One implication of this would be that the governance and management arrangements for the RDOs would have to be reviewed in light of their taking on new responsibilities. The gross benefit of this enhanced role for the RDOs could be up to 5% of the capital investment involved, but there would be some offsetting staffing and administrative costs as that role increased. 10.2.12 The Group also considers that greater efficiencies could be secured through uniform technical specifications, use of project management guidelines and making bridge/ technical specialists available to local authorities, either via RDOs or through the NRA. It is not possible to quantify the financial benefits at this point. 10.2.13 The Group understands that the Department of Transport is currently investigating the reasons for variations in unit costs and rates for road improvement and maintenance works. The Group consider that this matter should be pursued as a matter of priority. 120
10.2.14 The Group also noted the large divergence in the number of roads staff per kilometre of road across different local authorities (see section 6.9). In this context, the Group considers that there should be a reduction of 250 staff in roads sections across local authorities. 10.2.15 Section 13(6) of the Roads Act 1993 allows members of the local community, with the consent of the relevant local authority, to carry out maintenance work on a local road. The local authority may provide material, plant, equipment and may make staff available to the local community to carry out these works. According to figures supplied by the Department of Transport, in 2008 €1.1 million was raised for improvement works and €0.3 million for maintenance work (surface dressing) via a community contribution (in cash or in-kind). In 2009, €0.9 million was raised via a community contribution for improvement works and €0.8 million for maintenance work. 10.2.16 The Group believes that a greater community contribution could be made towards the costs accruing to the State in the upkeep of lesser-used local roads, particularly where these roads serve very small numbers of dwellings. There is nothing, for example, under roads legislation that would prevent a Community Employment scheme being used for this purpose. Local authorities could be encouraged to seek a greater community contribution (financial or in-kind) towards the upkeep of low volume local roads serving small numbers of households, with a view to raising an additional €2 million towards local roads improvement and maintenance work. 10.2.17 In addition, the Group recommends that the roads-related functions of rating town councils be transferred to county councils. This, along with the transfer of other responsibilities, should yield a significant saving in costs each year (for further details see section 5.6). Recommendations: 10.2.18 In summary, the Group considers that there is a case for fiscal measures to incentivise a modal shift towards other transport options and a more efficient use of the road network, as well as potential efficiencies arising from concentrating specialised skills involved in the management of road infrastructure and other strategic infrastructural assets at regional level. 10.2.19 Thus the Group recommends that: • New tolling schemes on national roads (both new and existing) be introduced, based on an equitable distribution of tolling points across the national roads network, with a dedicated proportion of revenue used to invest in local and regional roads; • The role of the Regional Design Offices be extended to areas such as the management of non-PPP major projects, strategic regional road projects, asset and network management, and rehabilitation work; • The number of Regional Design Offices be reduced; 121
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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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senior management staff - for examp
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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
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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
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Page 117 and 118: the new Housing and Sustainable Com
Page 119: 10.2.6 To date, the emphasis of tol
Page 123 and 124: • Allocating grants to improve th
Page 125 and 126: 10.3.11 It would also facilitate th
Page 127 and 128: consumption (see also section 9 in
Page 129 and 130: Financial Summary: Through a combin
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Page 133 and 134: educe the number of such transactio
Page 135 and 136: Financial Summary: Through a combin
Page 137 and 138: in the trend of rationalisation of
Page 139 and 140: Table 10.1 - Motor Taxation Classes
Page 141 and 142: detail in issuing licences. Motor t
Page 143 and 144: 11.1 Treasury Management 11. Other
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Page 147 and 148: • The online Roadworks Control sy
Page 149 and 150: management, etc. Use of professiona
Page 151 and 152: • Projects to streamline existing
Page 153 and 154: 12. Local Government and the Wider
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Page 157 and 158: City Enterprise Boards with county/
Page 159 and 160: suggests that financial incentives
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Page 163 and 164: 13.1.11 The Group considers that th
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Page 167 and 168: legislation provides that arrears o
Page 169 and 170: 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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