Three-tier system for local authority accepted

THE Government has accepted that the local government system will have three tiers, as recommended by the interim report of the Devolution Commission published last night.

The three tiers will be regional, with a mainly co-ordinating function county, with county councils" as the primary unit of local government with a broader rem it and sub county, with elected local authorities in towns.

But the Government has sidestepped the commission's only hard recommendation, that housing related functions should be devolved quickly to local authorities. It has requested the commission to consider further the organisational and staffing implications of this recommendation.

The Cabinet also decided yesterday that an integrated local government and local development system would come into place on January 1st, 2000, on completion of the current round of spending under the EU community support framework for Ireland. In the interim, local authorities will be encouraged to develop a more structured relationship with the local development bodies active in their county.

In a statement on the Devolution Commission's first interim report, the Government has invited the body to come forward with proposals for the devolution of functions and powers to local authorities. It wants due account to he taken of the need not to unnecessarily disrupt existing arrangements for decentralisation of functions of Government to provincial towns before the end of the year.

It is also asking the commission to make appropriate distinction between "functions", which involve no local discretion, and "powers", which do involve local discretion.