Introduction
Ireland is a parliamentary democracy and a unitary state which became independent in 1921 and adopted its Constitution in 1937. The Irish Parliament is called the Oireachtas and consists of two Houses: the House of Representatives (Dáil Éireann) and the Senate (Seanad Éireann).
Local Authorities operate within specific geographic areas called local government areas. Since 2014, there are 31 local government areas and each one has a Local Authority. Under the Local Government Reform Act 2014, the town councils were replaced by a system of 95 municipal districts, integrating town and county governance, and certain Local Authorities were merged.
Since Ireland is a small and centralised state, regions play a very limited role. Local Authorities provide local government services at county/city level. In this respect, local governments were formally recognised by way of an amendment to the Constitution in 1999.
Following local government reform in 2014, the previous eight Regional Authorities and two Regional Assemblies were dissolved in 2014 and were replaced by three new Regional Assemblies which combined the functions of the previous structures. Though expanded, their administrative competences can be considered limited compared to other Member States.
Central level
The central government has full legislative powers.
Moreover, it exercises the bulk of administrative powers due to the low degree of autonomy enjoyed by the devolved authorities and the strict supervision of the lower tiers of government.
Regional level
In 2015, the three new Regional Assemblies were created to incorporate the functions of both the former regional authorities and assemblies, with significant enhancement of some powers, particularly in relation to spatial planning and economic development. The three new assemblies are
The role of the Regional Assemblies is to:
- Manage and monitor EU programmes of assistance;
- Prepare and oversee the implementation of Regional Spatial & Economic Strategies (RSES)[1]. These RSES support the implementation of national government policies such as the National Planning Framework (NPF)[2] and also set the framework for local economic development and spatial planning in each Local Authority within their regions. The adoption of RSES will require the review of relevant statutory plans of the constituent Local Authorities to ensure alignment between national, regional and local planning.
- Co-ordinate, promote and support strategic planning and sustainable development of their regions, providing advice and statutory observations on the making and review of Local Authority Development Plans.
- Promote effective local government and public services in the region, in conjunction with the National Oversight and Audit Commission;
Both the Southern Assembly and the Northern and Western Regional Assembly are managing authorities for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), managing respectively the Southern and Eastern Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020 and the Border, Midland and Western Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020. All three Regional Assemblies also provide national contact points for European Territorial Cooperation Programmes and participate on those programmes' monitoring committees.
The financing of the activities of the Regional Authorities is largely borne by their constituent Local Authorities.
Údarás na Gaeltachta is the regional authority responsible for the economic, social and cultural development of the Gaeltacht[3]. The overall objective of Údarás na Gaeltachta is to ensure that Irish remains the main communal language of the Gaeltacht and is passed on to future generations.[4] Seven members of the board are appointed by the Minister for the Gaeltacht, and the remaining five are appointed through the County Councils with Gaeltacht areas.[5]
Other regional structures exist in Ireland to provide strategic plans and guidance for specific policy areas. These include the three Regional Waste Management Offices [6] (SRWMO, EMWRO, and CURWMO, established 2013) and four Climate Action Regional Offices[7] (CAROs, established 2018).
The Regional Waste Management Offices are responsible for the implementation of each region's Waste Management Plan. These plans are underpinned by National and European waste legislation and the work of these offices ensures the continued management of waste in a safe and sustainable manner. Each Regional Waste Management Office is managed by a lead Local Authority for their waste region. The geography of three offices is identical to that of the Regional Assemblies.
The four newer CAROs are expected to establish centres of expertise that will be available to Local Authorities in their regions to ensure consistency within the various Local Authority plans and deal with cross boundary issues within and across the regions. They will equally provide input/advice into local adaptation plans and are intended be in a position to advise on local implications of sectoral actions. Each CARO will work to understand regional vulnerabilities and develop approaches fostering resilience to future climate risk. It is anticipated that each geographical area establish expertise in the primary risks which apply to their geographical region and will roll out expertise on these areas to partner Local Authorities. Each CARO is operated by a lead Local Authority, and their geography is defined areas that have been grouped together based on a distinct climate risk assessment with a focus on the predominant risk(s) in each geographical area.
Local level
The Local Government Reform Act 2014 changed the existing structure, in line with reforms announced in October 2012 by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. These included the abolition of all town councils and the merger of some county councils. The reforms came into effect in 2014
The breakdown between Local Authorities at county, city and city and county level is as follows:
Local Authorities are entrusted with the following competencies:
- Housing and building: the enforcement of minimum standards, assistance with provision of housing for those unable to house themselves;
- Planning permission and development control: Local Authorities decide whether to grant or refuse planning permission for building and development. Each Local Authority also creates a Development Plan every 6 years, which sets out its planning policies;
- Essential services such as roads and bridges, fire services and drainage. Irish Water is responsible for water and wastewater services;
- Environmental protection in relation to pollution control and animal control: Local Authorities issue licenses for waste disposal and for emissions into the air from plants. It collects or arranges for the collection of domestic and other waste and it monitors the environment for signs of pollution. It also issues licenses for keeping dogs and licenses for horses within its area. Local Authorities also control dangerous places and buildings, abattoirs and knackeries, and provide and maintain graveyards and burial grounds;
- Recreation, artistic and cultural amenities facilities and services, including the provision of swimming pools, parks, open space, library service, community centres civic improvement such as monuments.
In addition to the functions outlined above, a fundamental role of democratically elected local government is the representation of local communities, voicing of local concerns and response to local needs. Local Authorities also play a key role in supporting economic development and enterprise at a local level.
The Local Authority has jurisdiction throughout its administrative area for the functions listed above. Each council has a chief executive, previously known as city or county manager, who is the manager of the Local Authority.
A distinguishing characteristic of local government in Ireland is the relatively limited range of functions undertaken by Local Authorities. By way of comparison, many local authorities in other OECD countries have responsibility for a much broader range of services[12]
[1] Southern Regional Assembly, https://www.southernassembly.ie/the-assembly, (accessed 26 May 2020).
[2] National Planning Framework, http://npf.ie/, (accessed 26 May 2020).
[3] The term 'Gaeltacht' is used to denote those areas in Ireland where the Irish language is, or was until the recent past, the main spoken language of a substantial number of the local population.
[4] The authority endeavours to achieve that objective by funding and fostering a wide range of enterprise development and job creation initiatives and by supporting strategic language, cultural and community based activities.
[5] The Gaeltacht covers extensive parts of counties Donegal, Mayo, Galway and Kerry – all along the western seaboard – and also parts of counties Cork, Meath and Waterford. See the Gaeltacht Act 2012
[6] Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment, https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/environment/topics/waste/waste-management-and-policy/Pages/Regional-Waste-Management-Plans.aspx, (accessed 26 May 2020).
[7] Climate Ireland, https://www.climateireland.ie/#!/resources/caros, (accessed 26 May 2020).
[8] This department has since been renamed as the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. (http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2017/si/358/made/en/print).
[9] They are responsible for local government in 24 geographical counties including the county of Dublin. Dublin county has 3 county councils – South Dublin County Council, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Fingal County Council
[10] There are 3 city councils and they are responsible for local government in the cities of Dublin, Cork and Galway.
[11] There are 2 city and county councils. They are responsible for local government in Limerick (Limerick City and County Council) and Waterford (Waterford City and County Council).
[12] Institute of Public Administration, Public Sector Reform in Ireland: Views and Experiences from Local Government Senior Executives. 2014, Local Government Research Series, Paper 7.
