Report of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group

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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. 62
Cluster Data Cluster Mayo Roscommon Sligo Leitrim Waterford City & County North Tipp South Tipp Cavan Monaghan Longford Westmeath Limerick City & County Carlow Kilkenny Laois Offaly Galway City & County Population 182,607 89,844 107,961 149,244 120,000 113,737 184,055 137,907 137,927 232,670 Table 6.2 – Recommended Joint Administrative Areas Staffing (whole time equivalents) 1728 832 975 1158 880 818 1266 899 883 1421 Current Staffing Levels Staff per 1,000 of Population (National Average =7.6) 9.46 9.27 9.04 7.76 7.34 7.19 6.88 6.52 6.41 6.14 % of Staff in Corporate Areas (National Average = 16%) 13% 16% 15% 14% 19% 18% 16% 16% 16% 15% Number of Staff in Corporate Areas 225.5 136.3 146.4 161.9 171.4 145.5 208.4 146.9 142.8 213.5 Revised Staffing Levels (10% reduction in Corporate Area Staffing) Staffing (whole time equivalents) 1705 818 961.2 1142 863 803.6 1246 884 869 1400 Staff per 1,000 of Population (National Average =7.6) 9.34 9.11 8.90 7.65 7.19 7.07 6.77 6.41 6.3 6.04 % of Staff in Corporate Areas (National Average= 16%) 63 11.9% 15.0% 13.7% 12.8% 17.9% 16.3% 15.1% 14.9% 14.8% 13.7%
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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
Page 11 and 12: ating town councils is largely repr
Page 13 and 14: • The provision of quality custom
Page 15 and 16: 1.7 Compliance Requirements on Loca
Page 17 and 18: 2.1 National Public Finances 2. Bud
Page 19 and 20: Figure 2.2 - Total Local Authority
Page 21 and 22: evenue were needed for the local go
Page 23 and 24: Figure 2.3 - Sources of Local Autho
Page 25 and 26: Figure 2.4 -Sources of Local Author
Page 27 and 28: Figure 2.5 - Local Authority Curren
Page 29 and 30: Payroll Expenses Table 2.4 - Breakd
Page 31 and 32: 2. Reintroducing domestic water cha
Page 33 and 34: Income €m € 1,600.0 € 1,400.0
Page 35 and 36: 3. Local Government Experience of E
Page 37 and 38: maintenance are provided by the cou
Page 39 and 40: well as reductions in the number of
Page 41 and 42: 4. Context - Looking Forward 4.1 Na
Page 43 and 44: 4.2.6 Aside from keeping costs down
Page 45 and 46: 5. Organisational Efficiency Issues
Page 47 and 48: statutorily vested in certain ratin
Page 49 and 50: 5.5.6 Roads are classified into nat
Page 51 and 52: the majority of town councils, a pl
Page 53 and 54: 5.7 Other Local Bodies 5.7.1 A smal
Page 55 and 56: • County council offices / area o
Page 57 and 58: Figure 6.1 - Local Authority Staff
Page 59 and 60: Figure 6.2 - Staffing per 1,000 Pop
Page 61: Figure 6.5 - Staffing Per 1,000 Pop
Page 65 and 66: senior management staff - for examp
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,
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
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10.1.9 Two issues arise in this res
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that may arise in this respect as p
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the new Housing and Sustainable Com
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10.2.6 To date, the emphasis of tol
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10.2.14 The Group also noted the la
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• Allocating grants to improve th
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10.3.11 It would also facilitate th
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consumption (see also section 9 in
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Financial Summary: Through a combin
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current levels of resourcing for pl
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educe the number of such transactio
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Financial Summary: Through a combin
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in the trend of rationalisation of
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Table 10.1 - Motor Taxation Classes
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detail in issuing licences. Motor t
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11.1 Treasury Management 11. Other
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for the overdraft, has the potentia
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• The online Roadworks Control sy
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management, etc. Use of professiona
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• Projects to streamline existing
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12. Local Government and the Wider
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significant administrative overhead
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City Enterprise Boards with county/
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suggests that financial incentives
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13. Cost Recovery and Revenue Issue
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13.1.11 The Group considers that th
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Minister for Education and Skills t
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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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