Labour has proposed a major transfer of power from national level to local government and the extension of the right to vote at local elections to all aged over 16.
In a new policy document which the party says proposes the biggest reform of local government for over a century, it also calls for the establishment of new powerful regional authorities, directly-elected mayors in all areas and the transfer of powers from unelected county managers to elected councillors.
The party leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said yesterday that while this Government talked about decentralisation, "most decisions are taken by the most centralised bureaucracy". The policy document says real decentralisation "requires the devolution of functions to regional and local level", rather than simply "relocating parts of a centralised administration to separate locations".
Speaking at the publication of the document, Labour's environment and local government spokesman, Mr Éamon Gilmore, said "at best we have a system of local administration" rather than local government. Unelected managers make the executive decisions for cities, towns and counties under a system established in the 19th century under a foreign monarch. "It is not appropriate for the independent citizens of a modern republic," said Mr Gilmore.
In recent years and especially under the Fianna Fáil/PD Government, he said, elected members had been further stripped of powers. "Councillors have lost the power to make road plans, waste management plans, waste charges and most planning functions.City and county managers have been given new powers which are bordering on the dictatorial." Ultimately it was the people who had been left powerless under the present system of local government, which was neither democratic nor local.
The party is proposing the devolution of Government functions to regional and local authorities. These would include school building, school transport, the distribution of lottery funds, employment services and training, rural development, social welfare services and coastal zone management. There should be new legislation to make providers of public services accountable to local councils.
As functions were devolved, so would control over resources and finance for those functions. Rates should be levied on State property, which is currently exempt.
Labour is proposing the establishment of regional authorities, including one for Dublin, which would be responsible for running cities and counties and planning transport, traffic, economic development, health services and communications infrastructure. These regional authorities would be directly elected. Dublin and each local authority would have a directly elected mayor. Dublin's four councils would be replaced by 10 to 12 district councils. Other large cities would also get city authorities.
County manager posts would be abolished under Labour's plan and replaced by council chief executives, who would be subject to policy decisions made by the elected councils. Their executive functions would be limited to those originally intended in the City and County Management Acts. The ministerial power to abolish a council which failed to agree a budget, and replace it with a commissioner, would be ended. Instead, councils which failed to agree a budget would be suspended and fresh elections would be held for the remainder of the five-year term.
Finally, the party wants the right to vote at local elections to be extended to all over 16, rather than confined to over-18s as at present.
Mr Rabbitte acknowledged that the activities of some councillors, officials, developers and lobbyists had given rise to a perception that the planning area of local government was "rife with corruption". Increased centralisation of power had undermined the effectiveness of local government. "The overall impression created is of a system where power is managed centrally and corrupted locally." This perception was "deeply unfair" but would remain unless local government was substantially reformed.
Labour reforms: what the party is proposing
Giving councillors control over school building, social welfare services and other functions.
New regional authorities would be responsible for transport and traffic planning, economic development, health services and communications infrastructure.
Local control over financing of local services.
Directly- elected mayors.
New council chief executives to replace county managers and be subject to policy decisions by councillors.
The right to vote to be given to all over 16.