Address to McGill Summer School (Local Government)
Text of Cllr Dermot Lacey’s address the Patrick Mc Gill Summer School, Glenties, Co. Donegal on Friday 23rd July on the subject of Local Government.
Other speakers were Pat The Cope Gallagher T.D., Minister of State at the Department of the Enviornment, Heritage and Local Government, Rachel Kenny, Irish Planning Institute and Michael McLonne, Donegal County Manager.
Needless to say the Minister was not too pleased with Dermot!
“Having just come through the delights of a Local Election campaign I welcome very much this debate on Local Government, Planning and Waste Management.
Because the certain things we can be sure of, is that the elections were most definitely not about any of these issues, or indeed about any of the other responsibilities, opportunities and possibilities of Local Government here in the Republic.
In many ways it was a lost opportunity. In general there was no real analysis of the role of Local Government, no assessment of the very limited powers available to elected Councilors. No comparison with structures in other countries.
No debate or development of understanding, on the key issue of the source of funding our Local Government system, which as someone who came through the whole “Bin Tax” fiasco in Dublin, was particularly annoying.
Amazingly no commentary whatsoever and virtually no reporting of the decision by Government to withdraw the right of citizens to elect their own Mayor or County Council Chairperson. Provision for this was included in the Local Government Act by Noel Dempsey, only to be removed two years later by Martin Cullen.
One can only imagine the howls of protest – and rightly so – if the British Government cancelled such democratic elections in Northern Ireland. (Tommy Gorman would have been instantly dispatched to Stormont and Charlie Bird would be breathlessly reporting from Downing Street)
Yet not a peep on this from our many, usually vocal commentators, here in the Republic.
I say all this because I passionately believe in the importance of Local Government. I believe that the issues that concern people in their day to day lives can best be dealt with by an empowered and resourced system of Local Government.
I hope today and in the years ahead I can contribute something to the case for real reform. Does Local Government work? The answer, is that, in so far as it is enabled to, It does.
However the reality is that Local Government is the poor relation of the Irish Political system. It is badly resourced, underfinanced and often ignored. It> ‘> s very credible record in the provision of quality housing, developing our library system, maintaining Public Parks, and providing a broad range of community facilities and services is second to none.
Together with its huge contribution to Education via the VEC system, Local Government has provided Ireland with a dynamic leadership and energy that is only limited by the restrictions imposed on it by a blinkered Department of State and a central Government obsessed with controlling everything.
Instead of supporting Local Government we have a Department of State that despite its lofty title of Environment, Heritage and Local Government is, in my opinion, clearly ill disposed to the first two and actively hostile to the latter. The record is there for all to see.
We are told that “Better Local Government” is the way forward. That the Government has a plan for effective reform and that, as always, it is on the way.
As a long standing advocate for Local Government reform I only wish that the Government did have a plan. I wish that they did have commitment and that we did have a Department of State, led by a Minister who actually believed in his title, Minister for the Environment and Local Government. Instead we have Martin Cullen. It is one of the unfortunate truisms of modern Ireland that we need reform of our creaking, under-funded and under-developed system of Local Government. It is a truism occasionally written about, often argued for and never, ever, implemented. Of course we need real reform, and of course we need Councilors to take more responsibility.
As a Dublin City Councilor since 1993 and more recently as Lord Mayor I have consistently argued for such reform and acted in the best interests of Dublin City when faced with difficult choices. Sadly, contrary to repeated Government assertions, the record of this Government, on this issue, has been entirely in the other direction.
The real facts, unfortunately bear this out. There is no evidence of any willingness on the part of the Cabinet to give Local Government more power. The very opposite, is clearly the case.
Removal of powers relating to traffic, planning matters and the making of the Development Plan have been the order of the day. Powers in relation to waste, waste charges, control of the taxi industry, and the list could go on, have all been removed in recent years.
We are told that this is happening because Local Councilors will not exercise their responsibilities as required. We are told this by, of all people, a Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, that has failed to tackle our Housing Crisis, will not tackle our environmental problems and more recently wasted nearly E60 million in an e-voting experiment that nobody asked for.
Every six months I ask the same question of the Dublin City Manager. What powers have been transferred to Dublin City Council since June 1997 and what powers have been transferred from Dublin City Council in the same period? The list of powers removed since this Government came into office is almost triple the new or additional powers it has been granted. This pattern is repeated on every Council across the State.
The much hyped Constitutional recognition of Local Government has been referred to as some sort of progress. The reality is that this is a meaningless sop and would not have prevented Ministers Dempsey or Cullen abolishing Dublin City Council or any other Local Authority if they fail to carry out the Ministers wishes on certain matters.
If Michael Ring proved anything in his High Court challenge on the dual mandate it was to show just how weak that so-called Constitutional Recognition really is.
Funding for Local Government remains deeply inadequate and has decreased in real terms over recent years. The “wide ranging independent study of Local Government funding” promised by the present Minister will probably never see the light of day and anyway if past experience is anything to go by it will certainly never be implemented.
While he is waiting for this report the Minister might take the immediate step of paying Dublin City Council some of the E22 million owed for commercial rates on Government properties for last year alone. Yes, Government itself decides that it has the right to deny a Local Authority rates that every other commercial user has to pay, yet still demands the same level of service.
Incidentally that figure might be a salutary lesson to some of those towns seeking the transfer of Government Departments as part of the Decentralization programme.
This fundamental issue of financing Local Government must be central to any reform package.
Governance without an independent source of funding is clearly not governance at all. It is simply administration at a local level of central Government policies.
In my view there is a need for a National Forum on Funding of Local Government. Such a Forum would be charged to, once and for all, agree a consensus approach on the issue. The forum would be comprised of the Social Partners, the main Political Parties and the three Councilor Representative Bodies. There should be an opportunity to contribute from the wider public.
It would be given a maximum of twelve months to report. The forum could consider either a national and common approach to the funding issue or, as I would prefer, a range of options that could be determined as appropriate by local elected Councils. These could include everything from a tourist or hotel room levy, planning enforcement charges, a variable income tax levy, sales tax and so on.
Real Responsibility will then rest with local Councillors who will also have real flexibility as to how to spend this money.
I want to see a transformed Local Government system. Local Government is best placed to tackle the key issues of Housing, Traffic/Transport, Planning, Community Services and Policing.
On all these, I believe Local Government, if allowed, could deliver more efficiently, more swiftly and more economically to local communities.
Instead of each City or County Council having to prepare a set of housing plans which must then be assessed by another team of architects and officials in the Custom House let the responsibility lie at the local level. Time saved and money saved.
Instead of the Dublin Director of Traffic having to consult with over 30 different agencies before a decision can be made in relation to Traffic – let decisions be taken at Council level.
Instead of Lottery funding applications being processed at a National level by Government Department surely it would make more sense if these decisions could be made by those who know and understand the needs of an area, through the Local Government system.
The same principle applies to policing, planning education and so on.
In most European countries these matters are the preserve of the Local Government system. Here they are either the responsibility of central Government or unaccountable Quangos. There is absolutely no reason to believe that the “National” knows best.
However such a widening of functions can not be achieved under our current structures. Our present system belongs to the 19th century.
Ireland has changed dramatically since the map of our Local Government system was drawn over one hundred years ago. Any new structures should
recognize that fact. Local Government itself needs to be remapped to be based on the real living space of citizens and reflect the actual communities in which they live.
These new structures should then be truly responsible for the design and delivery of services within their respective areas. All Public bodies and State agencies active, or inactive as the case may be, should on an ongoing basis be accountable to these democratically elected Councils. Not alone would this be good for the areas concerned and for the principle of subsidiarity and for Local Government, it would also have the beneficial side effect of releasing space for our National Legislature to deal with the issues of national and strategic importance that should be its remit.
You may be told that there have been reforms. That Better Local Government has given us Area Committees, Strategic Policy Committees and City or County Development Boards.
That is true – except we never asked for them. Yes Area Committees are effective if all you want to do is to protect your patch, look after your parish or community. But they also have a negative effect in terms of developing a sense of responsibility for the wider City or County.
On the Strategic Policy Committees – let me simply ask you to find ten Councilors from across the Country who will tell you that they are working. They are not. Sadly in my opinion that is exactly what the Department wants. Let me give you some simple examples. On the Traffic and Transportation Committee of Dublin City Council we are forbidden by law to include the Gardai or Dublin Bus as members.
On the Engineering and Environment Committee we cannot propose amendments to the Waste Management Plan because that is now the sole responsibility of the Manager.
On the Arts, Culture and Youth Committee we have no input or opportunity to question the Dept of Education on any of the issues for which we have a nominal responsibility. I could go on.
So what do I want? In Dublin I want to see a directly elected Mayor who would serve for the life of the Council. I want to see the establishment of a full time Dublin Regional Council and I want to see real devolution of the powers I have already referred to. Such a format can be repeated as appropriate across the country.
Some people believe that the role of Local Government is to implement the views and policies of the so-called Department of the Environment and Local Government. I do not. It is the job of Dublin City Councilors to do all that is best for our City and its citizens. It is our job to stand up for Dublin, not to regurgitate the failed views and policies imposed from the Custom House. The same applies to Councilors representing other parts of our country in respect of their areas.
The next Local Elections take place in less than five years. These years should not be as wasted and lost as the last five have been. In this period, instead of propagating the myth that they are engaged in Local Government reform, the Government should take the opportunity to grasp the nettle, seek the support of the opposition parties and introduce a vibrant, independent and relevant Local Government system.
I have great hope for the future of Local Government. A failed Minister and an obdurate Department cannot block reform forever.
Local Government can work and will deliver – if it is allowed to. That is the big question. Will central Government ever have the will to release the energy that is there at Local level or will the mandarins forever believe in their own over riding competence to deal with everything?
The media too can play their part. More accurate and informed coverage of Council affairs would be a start. RTE in particular should consider the appointment of a Local Government correspondent.
For me the most striking thing about the most recent local elections, quite simply, was the shameful abdication of responsibility by RTE our supposedly Public Broadcasting Service. Local Government itself and the issues surrounding it were sidelined to the part of bit player as RTE concentrated, in the minimal amount of coverage it did give, to who’s son or daughter would inherit the family seat, the impact the election might have for Government or how the various Party Leaders would fare.
It is an issue that RTE must someday address because part of the responsibility for the poor image of Local Government, lies with those charged with, and funded to, impart information on Public Affairs and who fail to do so. Responsibility for some of that poor image also of course lies with those of us directly involved.
The rest of the media could also start engaging Councilors on issues of relevance, not just on the latest “junket” but on the policies and activities of the Council.
We have in Ireland perhaps the most accessible and yet, maligned elected Public Representatives anywhere in the world – The local City or County Councilor. So to answer the question. Does Local Government work? Clearly it works better than it is given credit for, far better than one could expect from the resources allocated, but far short of what it is capable of. I am proud of the service that the vast majority of my fellow Councilors have given to this country.
I will be a lot happier when they are given the power, the structures and the resources to deliver more.”
