Sir, – There is much talk about setting up new “dedicated” ministries as a way of progressing action on priority issues of serious public concern, such as housing and rural development. These proposals make no sense. They are more likely to slow down than to speed progress.
Setting up new departments is a complex, costly, messy and protracted process. In the case of housing, for example, it would involve transferring housing and certain planning functions from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government to the new ministry. Amending legislation would probably have to be enacted to enable these functions to be transferred. Civil servants and functions would have to be reassigned, and the reporting and funding relationships of local authorities with central government reconfigured.
And this is to say nothing of the costs of establishing new offices, website, logos, appointment of a new secretary general, and so on.
One of the problems blocking speedy action in response to the housing crisis is the plethora of agencies and bodies involved. Adding another layer of administrative complexity in the housing area will not help, to put it mildly.
The setting up of a department for rural development would be even more complicated and cause huge administrative, legislative and budgetary confusion. The challenges facing rural communities cut across the roles of several, indeed most, departments. The setting up of a department of rural development has all the complexities already set out in relation to housing, but also runs the risk of “dumping” rural development on one department, when balanced regional development should be a clear remit of all departments.
And then there is the media speculation that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will be disbanded – presumably to make way for one of these new departments. Is there any member of the public or any politician who believes that we no longer need a clear and explicit focus on managing public expenditure? Or that the public sector reform programme has been completed?
In the case of housing, what we need is for the incoming Minster for Environment, Community and Local Government to be explicitly tasked by the Taoiseach with short-, medium- and long-term targets, and clear public accountability, supported by the authority and resources needed to deal with this national emergency.
Other Cabinet ministers, local authority chief executives and relevant public bodies need to be directed to engage with the task of achieving these targets. Wasting time on setting up a new ministry would be unforgiveable. – Yours, etc,
JIM COLGAN,
Louisburgh, Co Mayo.