THE GREEN Paper on local government, Stronger Local Democracy: Options for Change, published yesterday, is designed to begin the process of reshaping local government in a way that will provide for a greater role for local, democratic leadership, according to Minister for the Environment John Gormley.
The Green Paper is a discussion document arising from a commitment in the programme for government to reform local government to make it more transparent and more responsive to citizens, Mr Gormley said.
Speaking at the publication of the document, he said his ideal was for democratic, accountable decision making, complemented by the delivery of quality, efficient services as close to the citizen as possible.
“Closeness to the citizen, the proximity of local government to the communities it represents and serves, is the unique feature of our local councils. We need to give local government greater freedom and capacity to tackle local issues locally, working on its own initiative and in partnership with the other local and State agencies,” Mr Gormley said.
One of the key features of the Green Paper is a mayor for the Dublin region.
The first mayoral election is proposed for 2011 with a decision yet to be made on whether the term should be for four or five years.
However, the role of the mayor in relation to current and future institutional arrangements remains to be decided, with careful consideration being given to the role of the four Dublin local authorities, the adjoining local authorities, and national offices. It is proposed that the Dublin mayor should become the chair of the proposed Dublin Transport Authority.
The paper also proposes directly elected mayors in other cities and counties, as well as greater devolution of decision making to town councils.
In addition, it examines the principles of efficient service provision and the democratic legitimacy provided by town councils.
The culture of continuous change is stressed, as is the need for local government flexibility and imagination in service delivery. Greater movement towards the sharing of services is advocated.
It is recommended that local electoral expenditure limits should be introduced but that the bureaucracy involved in any new procedures should be kept to a minimum.
Mr Gormley suggested yesterday that a cap of €5,000 per candidate should be applied in next year’s local elections.
On financing, the paper highlights the need for proper funding of local government, saying autonomy in fundraising increases local discretion and accountability.
