Council staff ‘subject to political interference’

More than half of local government executives feel politicians interfere with their routine activities,

a new report claims.

The research behind Public Sector Reform in Ireland: Views and Experiences from Local Government Senior Executives was carried out by Richard Boyle of the Institute of Public Administration.

One question explored the degree to which local government executives interact with stakeholders. Some 80 per cent said they would interact at least weekly with politicians.

“This indicates the high degree of interaction senior local government officials have with councillors, and is a major contrast to central government executives, where there is a more limited degree of direct political engagement,” according to the report.

Local government executives were asked about the degree of politicisation in their work, and the degree to which decisions are based on technical or political criteria. Just over half “rather agreed” that removing issues and activities from the realms of politics produced better policies.

At the same time, two-thirds felt politicians respected the technical expertise of the local administration.

Just over half of respondents felt politicians interfered with routine activities – but there was a “very strong view” politicians did not influence senior appointments with some 88 per cent “rather disagreeing” with the statement that they do.