Councils body praises interim report's tone

THE interim report of the Devolution Commission has been welcomed by the General Council of County Councils.

Mr Liam Kenny, spokesman for the group, said he welcomed the report's general thrust "which would retain and strengthen county councils as the basis of local government in Ireland".

It was agreed by commentators over 40 years, he said, that this state had the most centralised system of government in Europe. "Anything which would suggest, shifting the powers is welcome, he said, "so long as resources are also made available."

Mr Kenny also welcomed that section of the report which suggests an "interlocking" between local authorities and the sundry development agencies. The agencies referred to included bodies such as the county enterprise boards, LEADER, and the various partnership groups, many of which duplicate functions of county councils.

He believes all such bodies should be brought under the aegis of a county council.

Two other reports on local Government have been prepared recently, the Lacey report and the KPNG study. Unlike the Devolution Commission, however, both of these were commissioned by the Department of the Environment. The fact that the Devolution Commission report was prepared at the behest of the Department of the Taoiseach is seen at county council level as an indication of Mr Bruton's determination to reform local government.