Putting People First Guide - Department of Environment and Local ...

Putting People First Summary_Layout 1 16/10/2012 10:50 Page 8summary of themes:1. structures - local government will be streamlined:• a new model of municipal governance within counties will be introduced. all 80 existing townauthorities and their 744 members will be replaced by a comprehensive system of municipaldistricts, integrating town and county governance. this will mean:• local authorities will be reduced from 114 to 31 City and County Councils with integrateddistricts;• there will be a reduction from 1,627 council seats to about 950;• there will be a rebalancing of representation nationally and more equality ofrepresentation between local electoral areas within counties;• elected members will decide relevant local matters at district level and collectively theywill form the plenary city or county council; and• there will be a unified county-wide administration with no duplication of functions betweendistrict and county levels.• the eight regional authorities and two assemblies will be replaced by three regional assemblies toperform an updated range of strategic functions, with a reduction in overall membership from 290to 62.• the structural reforms at regional, county and sub-county level are anticipated to realise netsavings of €40 to €45 million.• waterford City and County Council will, together with tipperary and limerick, be unified, witheffect from the 2014 local elections.2. Funding, accountability and governance:8• local services administered by local authorities will be locally funded through an equitableproperty tax. this financial responsibility will underpin local democratic decision-making.• a new independently chaired national oversight and audit Commission for local government willbe established, involving external evaluation expertise.• local authority audit Committees will be put on a full regulatory footing and the Committee’sreview of the audit report will be included in its report to the Council.• the position of local authority manager will be replaced by a Chief executive post.• reserved functions of elected members will be strengthened.• powers of councillors under section 140 of the local government act 2001 will no longer apply inrespect of planning functions and consistent with this, these powers will not apply to any decisionby a local authority involving financial or other benefit to an individual or a specific organisation.• the two representative bodies of local Councillors will be merged after 2014.