Politicians opposed to the seven new super councils planned for Northern Ireland were accused today of being more concerned about their own careers than what is best for local government.
Sinn Fein vice president Pat Doherty made the claim after the Democratic Unionists, Ulster Unionists, SDLP and cross community Alliance Party criticised Boundaries Commissioner Dick Mackenzie's vision of a new seven council system.
Mr Doherty, whose party is the only one to support the seven council proposal, also claimed arguments for an 11 or 15 model did not hold up to scrutiny.
"The 15 and 11 models could be described as halfway houses which neither retain local identity nor afford locally elected representatives with the necessary powers or resources to bring about meaningful change within their local areas," the West Tyrone MP argued.
"For example, it is only under the seven model that sufficient powers and financial resources would transferred to councils to enable them to draw up and implement meaningful socio-economic development strategies for their areas. "The 15 and 11 models could also serve to perpetuate the duplication of bureaucracy and eat up ratepayers' money that could be better used in improving frontline council services."
Mr Mackenzie yesterday announced boundary changes to the seven new councils envisaged last year in the Government's review of public administration.
Under his plan, Belfast would be a bigger council than was originally planned, swallowing up parts of Castlereagh, Lisburn and North Down council areas.
The other councils would be known as: :: Inner East Local Government District, incorporating Antrim, Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey Councils and the remainder of Lisburn City Council :: East Local Government District, comprising Ards, Down, parts of North Down and Castlereagh Councils :: South Local Government District, made up of Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon and Newry and Mourne :: West Local Government District, incorporating Cookstown, Dungannon and South Tyrone, Fermanagh and Omagh :: North-West Local Government District, comprising Derry, Limavady, Magherafelt and Strabane and part of Coleraine :: North-East Local Government District, made up of Ballymena, Ballymoney, Larne, Moyle and a major part of Coleraine.
The Northern Ireland Local Government Association has criticised Mr Mackenzie's plan. Parties also highlighted his failure to come up with imaginative names for the new councils which people could unite around.
The DUP's Mervyn Storey and UUP's Jim Wilson both insisted the 11 or 15 council model would be better. The SDLP's Tommy Gallagher and Patricia Lewsley rounded on Sinn Fein for supporting a model which under the Boundaries Commissioner's plans could see nationalist districts based in Lisburn swallowed up by the new Belfast council.
PA