Report of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group

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• The Regional Design Office model be extended to other local authority service areas, for example to the procurement, land acquisition, project management through planning and construction, and asset management of water and waste infrastructure; • The number of roads staff be reduced by 250, with an emphasis on reducing numbers in certain local authorities; • A greater community contribution be secured towards the upkeep of local roads serving a small number of households; • The roads-related functions of town councils be transferred to county councils. 10.2.20 The total annual value of the savings, efficiency benefits and additional revenue sources identified above is €10 million in current expenditure. Financial Summary: Through a combination of savings and measures a total of €10 million can be achieved based on the following items 1. Reduction of roads staff – €8 million 2. Greater community contribution to upkeep of local roads – €2 million Total Amount: €10 million 10.2.21 These figures do not include an estimated €60 – €110 million that could be raised for capital expenditure arising from new tolling schemes on national roads, based on an equitable distribution of tolling points across the national roads network, and a rationalisation of Regional Design Offices. 10.3 Water Services 10.3.1 The 34 county and city councils are designated as ‘water services authorities’ for the purpose of the construction and maintenance of water and waste water infrastructure. Legislation in 2001 consolidated water services at county and city council level by transferring water functions from town councils to county councils. 10.3.2 The responsibilities of local authorities in this area include: • Assessment of need for the provision of water services, and prioritisation of works; • Management of construction and capital projects under the Water Services Investment Programme; • Operation, management and maintenance of waste water and water treatment schemes, water supply distribution and waste water collection; • Water conservation and rehabilitation works; • Monitoring of water quality; 122
• Allocating grants to improve the quality of private and private group water supplies through the Rural Water Programme; • Water metering and charging for non-domestic water users; • Acquisition of premises and wayleaves. 10.3.3 The total budgeted expenditure for water services in 2010 by local authorities comes to €722.3 million. According to figures collected by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from local authorities, in early 2010 the number of staff working in the water services area in local government was in excess of 3,000, accounting for about one in ten of all local authority staff. 10.3.4 Some 1.6 billion litres of drinking water are treated by water services authorities on a daily basis, and the public water network comprises over 22,000 kilometres of mains. The water supply sector comprises a number of large water supply systems in larger urban areas, together with many smaller systems dispersed through the country, reflecting the availability of water in proximity to most areas of population. Local authorities are responsible for over 950 public water supply zones ranging from the very small (50 or more) to the very large (such as Ballymore Eustace which supplies water to a population of 500,000 in Dublin). Similarly, local authorities are responsible directly, or indirectly, for waste water treatment in some 482 agglomerations with a population equivalent of more than 500 (including some very large schemes in areas such as Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Limerick). Supervision of the provision and operation of water and waste water services is carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has powers to direct authorities to carry out specific actions and, in situations of non-compliance, powers to prosecute authorities. 10.3.5 While there are some notable outcomes under the current structures, and overall water supplies achieve a high level of compliance with drinking water standards, the structures also have a number of inherent weaknesses which impact on overall effectiveness and efficiency and in facing future challenges. The EPA has highlighted deficiencies in the operational practices of local authorities in its reports of its water-related supervisory activities. For example, the EPA’s report on waste water treatment discharges for 2006 and 2007 noted that 20% of treatment plants were found to be non-compliant due to inadequate sampling and monitoring by local authorities. Local authority service indicators for 2008 have also highlighted issues regarding unacceptably high levels of unaccounted-forwater in certain areas (see Appendix 9), and with the collection rates for non-domestic water charges. 10.3.6 Since 2007, service provision costs have been rising by approximately 7.5% per annum. Drivers of costs include the increased costs of regulatory compliance with EU and national legislation, increases in energy costs, and costs associated with the significant investment in new infrastructure for treating drinking water and waste water (see section 1.7). The €4.6 billion invested in public water and waste water infrastructure over the past decade has increased capacity by the equivalent of a population of 3.6 million in 123
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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
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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,
Page 77 and 78: 7.1 Local Government Audit 7. Value
Page 79 and 80: through open recruitment. Opportuni
Page 81 and 82: the Director and relevant local gov
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 and 116: that may arise in this respect as p
Page 117 and 118: the new Housing and Sustainable Com
Page 119 and 120: 10.2.6 To date, the emphasis of tol
Page 121: 10.2.14 The Group also noted the la
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
Page 131 and 132: current levels of resourcing for pl
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
Page 145 and 146: for the overdraft, has the potentia
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
Page 155 and 156: significant administrative overhead
Page 157 and 158: City Enterprise Boards with county/
Page 159 and 160: suggests that financial incentives
Page 161 and 162: 13. Cost Recovery and Revenue Issue
Page 163 and 164: 13.1.11 The Group considers that th
Page 165 and 166: Minister for Education and Skills t
Page 167 and 168: legislation provides that arrears o
Page 169 and 170: Recommendations: 13.5.1 In summary,
Page 171 and 172: 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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