Republican News · Thursday 10 April 2003

Cullen challenged on Local Government reform

During a heated exchange with Minister Martin Cullen in the course of a Dáil debate on the Local Government Bill 2003, Sinn Féin Dáil spokesperson on the Environment and Local Government, Arthur Morgan, took the minister to task for the government's failure to bring forward legislation to reform local government. Morgan reiterated Sinn Féin's commitment to a properly funded, empowered, democratic and autonomous system of local government.

"The supposed commitment of Minister Cullen to Local Government reform is laughable," he said. "This is the same minister who is seeking, through the protection of the Environment Bill, to further destroy local democracy by giving increased powers to unelected managers. People simply will no longer accept control over their local authorities being arbitrarily handed over to city and county managers.

Morgan said that for decades, there has been a stripping away of the powers of local government, making it increasingly weak and powerless. The resulting democratic deficit in local government, he said, is alienating people from the decision-making bodies. This is clearly illustrated by the consistently low level of voter turnout for local elections.

"It will come as no surprise to hear that Sinn Féin is totally in favour of the abolition of the dual mandate," he told the Dáil. "It will allow elected members to devote their full attention to one elected body and it will facilitate better governance at Dáil and local level.

"But this welcome legislation is poisoned by the inclusion of a section that will end, even before it has begun, the direct election of mayors and chairpersons of local authorities. Rather than providing for a measure of real democracy, this Bill leaves us with the ubiquitous and autocratic city and county managers, who are responsible to almost no one. I do not have to look far to see examples of decisions that are arrogant and - I say this reluctantly - downright stupid, in some cases. The provision for the direct election of Cathaoirligh must be reinstated at the earliest opportunity."

Addressing the underfunding of local government, Arthur Morgan said that local authorities are continually reacting to funding crises and are now being forced to implement government cutbacks. "They do not have the finance needed for important projects, for instance for the building of social housing, and are forced to levy penal charges such as planning levies," he said. "For example, in my own county of Louth a planning levy of §3,300 is imposed on a young couple applying for permission to build their first house. This is a gross imposition on the very people local government should be supporting.

"I want to see legislation to give local authorities far greater autonomy in determining and controlling expenditure, and I would ask the minister to elaborate on the comment he made during his speech to this House last night, that 'a major independent review of local government funding will shortly get underway'. I hope the review is imaginative and creative because it is long overdue."