Madam, - The provisions in the recently published Environmental Bill, 2003, proposing to place responsibility on county and city managers to impose waste charges, has once again prompted an outburst of opposition to managers, especially where payment for a service is concerned. This opposition is usually clouded in a mist of time-worn clichés such as "democratic deficit" and "lack of accountability", which tend to conceal the inner purpose of the objector.
It is extraordinary that this type of ill-founded opposition should be confined almost exclusively to aspects of the local government system. This is in marked contrast to other public services such as electricity, gas, telephones, transport, motor taxation, postal charges and radio licences, where, apart from initial "ritualistic" protests, the charges tend to be quickly accepted without much opposition or criticism.
It should be stressed that charges for local government services are unique in that they are publicly debated by democratically elected members, unlike those other bodies to whose decision-making process the public do not have access. The manager is answerable in public to the elected council and to the media or a Government Department. Another factor to note is that, again unlike other bodies, the charges are subject to a waiver where hardship exists. It is doubtful if any other public service project is as well conceived in intent and in execution.
The proposal in the Environmental Bill is obviously included to ensure successful implementation of a vital service and to avoid a repetition of the frequent occurrences which threaten the existence of a democratically elected Council in relation to adoption of its annual budget.
Local government has been beset by serious problems in recent years many of which would have been avoided if the managers' powers were more extensive. - Yours, etc.,
(former Limerick
County Manager),
Lecturer,
Department of Government,
University College,
Cork.