A chara, - Cllr Dermot Lacey of the Labour Party (April 7th) criticises Noel Dempsey for not being radical enough when it comes to local government reform and highlights what he calls the Minister's "threat" to abolish Dublin Corporation "because it would not do his bidding".
Let's get our facts straight. Dublin Corporation faced abolition because it could not agree estimates of income and expenditure for this year. All other local authorities around the country managed to do so. The Labour Party opposed the introduction of domestic service charges for waste in the capital, in spite of the fact that in virtually every other part of the country householders already have to pay them.
Labour was also responsible for the abolition of domestic water charges in 1997. To do so, they increased the levels of stamp duty payable on property, this contributing to the spiralling cost of housing.
Only by each if us paying directly for the water we use and waste we produce will we appreciate the value of our environment. Those who minimise their water use and compost or recycle their waste should be incentivised. Those who do not should face financial penalties. Obviously there must also be regard to ability to pay but that does not relieve anyone of his or her responsibilities.
I agree with Dermot Lacey that the Local Government Bill does not go far enough. The only way to ensure real and effective local government is by ensuring that local authorities are adequately funded and that funding must also be capable of being raised directly by the local authority. Indeed, this view is shared by many of Labour's sister parties across Europe.
This is not a question of new taxes but rather a reduction in national taxation to be replaced by own resource funding for local authorities. This requires a cross-party approach and a need to avoid political opportunism.
About a year ago, Cllr Lacey penned a similar letter to your newspaper. You published a response from me asking, if he wanted real reform, how it should be funded.
Perhaps this time he might reply. - Is mise,
Malcolm Byrne, Fianna Fail member, Gorey Town Commissioners, Gorey, Co Wexford.