Report of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group

staffing level of five directors of service for a county as small as Leitrim is
excessive.
6.4.3 The question then needs to be addressed as to whether an alternative
configuration would enable a greater level of scale efficiency. At present,
counties such as Sligo and Leitrim operate independently of each other.
Given the low population levels served by each (Sligo has a population of
60,894; Leitrim’s population is 28,950), the group considers that the option
of clustering smaller contiguous counties into joint administrative areas to
enable them to achieve greater scale efficiencies should be pursued.
Clearly, this would have implications for the overall structure of local
government, and in this regard the group feels that as many as 20 local
authorities would benefit from some form of clustering to enable scale
efficiencies (see Table 6.2 below). The consequential implication of this is a
series of joint administrative structures, each covering more than one local
authority. As a rough guide, a minimum population target per structure of
100,000 is recommended.
6.4.4 There were a number of factors taken into consideration in determining the
proposed joint administrative areas presented in Table 6.2. These included
the population base of the proposed areas, geographical factors, and the
fact that many of the proposed joint administrative areas historically shared
a county manager. While the Group did consider the potential for certain
areas to contain up to three counties based on population, it came to the
conclusion that no manager could reasonably be expected to support more
than two county councils.
6.4.5 A possible approach to realising such efficiencies might be to consider
delivery of corporate service functions on a joint basis across two
contiguous local authorities. A scale efficiency of 10% across selected local
authorities through joint administrative arrangements or otherwise would
release 170 WTEs for redeployment elsewhere.
6.4.6 However, such an approach needs to take account of the overall staffing
levels in each joint area. Staff released through efficiencies in the corporate
areas would be available for redeployment elsewhere in the sector or
beyond.
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