Report of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group

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closely align their operations with local authorities and other local public service agencies. 12.2.3 The local government-led multi-agency CDBs (see section 12.4) were established to provide an integrated planning framework for each county/ city in terms of economic, social and cultural development, as well as supporting the co-ordination of publicly funded services at local level. 12.2.4 The closer alignment of the local development bodies with their respective county/ city councils was also an underlying objective. This was to be achieved through representation by these bodies on the CDBs, as well as alignment of their plans with the CDB county/ city strategies. The local development annual plans are ‘endorsed’ by the CDBs to avoid duplication of work. 12.2.5 The participation of the local development bodies on the CDBs and their sub-groups dealing with social inclusion measures, has over time drawn them somewhat closer to their respective county/city councils. The inclusion of Councillors on the boards of the local development bodies since the late 1990s was also intended to help in this regard. However, in general, while progress has been made it has been slower than originally envisaged. Recent Initiatives to Rationalise Local Development Bodies 12.2.6 Arising from a joint cohesion initiative involving the then Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, most LDCs now operate on a city-wide or county wide basis. The cohesion initiative has seen a reduction in local delivery structures for social inclusion and rural development programmes from 94 pre-2009, to 52 in 2010. The cohesion initiative was supported and facilitated at local level by the respective County/ City Development Boards. 12.2.7 A new integrated Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) was introduced from 1 January 2010. This has inter alia, resulted in a reduction of 20, to 165, in the number of CDPs. Under the new Programme the structural integration of LDCs and CDPs is planned from end-2010. Strengthening Links between Local Government and Local Development 12.2.8 Different options have been suggested to the Group to strengthen the links between local government and local development. These include local authorities providing back office support to the local development bodies, and channelling of a portion of the funding for these programmes through local authorities. 12.2.9 In general, local development companies and community development projects carry out most of their back office activity (such as payroll/ payments, and personnel) using their own staff. This carries with it 154
significant administrative overheads, especially for small organisations, diverting resources away from the primary mission of local development bodies. HR services are provided by IBEC or other HR providers. Pobal (formerly ADM) which provides central support and supervises the work of local development bodies, as well as acting as a channel through which funding is provided, has recently been requested by the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs to pilot a central HR service for the companies with a view to achieving efficiencies and a standardised approach. This is to be reviewed by the end of 2010. 12.2.10 The involvement of local authorities as outlined above has the potential to generate efficiencies. However, issues around local development company staff currently carrying out such functions and the implications of the EU Transfer of Undertakings Regulations would require consideration in this regard. 12.2.11 Currently Pobal manages the LCDP on behalf of the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs. It has carried out this role for almost two decades. Pobal provides a wide range of services in this context (including programme planning and design, appraisal, contract management, risk audit and programme audit etc.). Given that the LCDP is national programme, delivered locally, the Pobal role is considered an essential one. This role could be replicated by a Government Department or other national body but, hardly at significantly less cost then the current arrangements. In this respect, it is important to note the efficiencies that have been achieved within Pobal in recent years and that this is an ongoing process. On balance, pursuing more efficiency through current structures would seem to be a better option than trying to do so through new structures. 12.2.12 Of the 52 Local Development Companies (LDCs), 36 also deliver the Rural Development Programme (RDP). Each of these LDCs has a contract with the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs to deliver the Programme to end-2013 (effectively 2015 for technical reasons). That delivery model cannot be changed mid-Programme. In the event that a new Programme emerges to replace the current RDP, post-2013, new delivery models, including using local authorities, could be possible. 12.2.13 In recent years, the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, with the support of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government have made a major investment in the cohesion initiative, which led to the rationalisation of local delivery structures (from 94 to 53, now 52) from January 2009. The new structures have also achieved efficiencies and better integrated service delivery at local level and, for the first time, country-wide coverage. 12.2.14 The Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs is now seeking in the context of the new integrated Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) which rolled-out on 1 January 2010, and which supersedes both the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme 155
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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
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Corporate Services, HR, IT, and Fin
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to provide services in the corporat
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Recommendations: 6.11.1 In summary,
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7.1 Local Government Audit 7. Value
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through open recruitment. Opportuni
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the Director and relevant local gov
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7.6.3 Local authorities should cons
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8. Shared Services 8.1 Shared Servi
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8.2.6 Many parts of the United Stat
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8.4 Shared ‘Back Office’ Servic
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8.4.12 For example, recruitment to
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approach which will be used to asse
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enefits in terms of pooling resourc
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while also improving the service fo
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Implementation Group suggested in s
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9.2.4 The Local Government e-Procur
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Page 107 and 108: 9.5.10 LAQuotes is used by the vast
Page 109 and 110: sectoral level, to promote exchange
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Page 113 and 114: 10.1.9 Two issues arise in this res
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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
Page 131 and 132: current levels of resourcing for pl
Page 133 and 134: educe the number of such transactio
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Page 137 and 138: in the trend of rationalisation of
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Page 141 and 142: detail in issuing licences. Motor t
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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: 12. Local Government and the Wider
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
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
Page 173 and 174: 25. Financial performance indicator
Page 175 and 176: Housing 48. Housing sections within
Page 177 and 178: Planning monitoring by other public
Page 179 and 180: Local Government and the Wider Publ
Page 181 and 182: that just because these recommendat
Page 183 and 184: Appendix 1 - List of Submissions Re
Page 185 and 186: Appendix 2 - Local Government Effic
Page 187 and 188: Gross Current Income by Source and
Page 189 and 190: County Councils Housing and Buildin
Page 191 and 192: Town Councils Housing and Building
Page 193 and 194: Non-Rating Town Councils (1) Paymen
Page 195 and 196: Regional Assembly Payments Receipts
Page 197 and 198: Local Authority Current Expenditure
Page 199 and 200: Town Council Population Size (Censu
Page 201 and 202: Appendix 5 - Local Government Net B
Page 203 and 204: 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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