Tipperary 'very badly affected' by 2014 decision as Taoiseach promises action

A County Tipperary town has been “very badly affected” by the loss of its town council, the Dáil has heard.

Clonmel is one of a number of towns that lost its council as a result of the 2014 Reform of Local Government Act.

The issue was raised by independent TD Seamus Healy during a Leaders’ Questions session in the Dáil last week.

Addressing the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, Deputy Healy called for the re-establishment of borough and town councils.

He stated: “As he knows, local government is the heartbeat of democracy. The heart was torn out of democracy with the abolition of town and borough councils in 2014 by the Fine Gael-Labour Party coalition.

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“These councils were replaced by committees with no powers, functions or funding. Effectively, they are talking shops.”

Deputy Healy went on to describe the damage this has done to various towns nationwide, including to Clonmel.

“This has done serious damage to towns right across the country. It is widely accepted and acknowledged, even by the former leader of the Labour Party, Brendan Howlin, that this was a very bad decision.

“Clonmel, one of the five original boroughs in the country, with a mayor and a form of local democracy dating back to the 1400s, is a town very badly affected by that decision.”

Deputy Healy acknowledged the Programme for Government commitment to establish a local democracy task force.

However, he raised concerns over the lack of public representation on this task force and the lack of engagement during its consultation process.

He continued: “If there is to be a re-establishment of town and borough councils and real local government reform, this task force must be open, transparent and accountable and must involve real public consultation.

“If this does not happen, the Government's statement that local government is the heartbeat of democracy will mean nothing.

“Will the Taoiseach make sure that real local government and democracy are put in place by means of the re-establishment of borough and town councils and the setting up of new councils for towns that have grown and expanded in recent years?”

In response to Deputy Healy, Taoiseach Micheál Martin thanked him for raising an issue “close to his heart”.

The Taoiseach said: “At the time, I opposed the abolition of town and borough councils. As a democrat, I believe in fundamental layers of democracy.

“Town councils played a very effective and impactful role in their day. In the first instance, they were a channel for people to get involved in communities and politics and to outline plans and visions for their towns.

“As Deputy Healy says, in Clonmel and all across the country we have very good examples, including in Clonakilty, Kinsale and Dungarvan. They were all effective.”

Deputy Martin said that the Government may look at reintroducing town councils in certain areas.

He stated: “I do favour at least establishing a pilot programme whereby we look at certain areas of population of a certain scale where we could reintroduce councils.

“We talk about connection to people and we talk about democracy. The town councils were that connection.

“I was in some places recently where flooding had taken place. The absence of a town council and a basic administrative capacity was sorely felt over the past number of years in terms of resources being readily available in a given town if flooding occurred.”

The Taoiseach also noted the role town councils played in bringing people into politics and acting as a stepping stone to full county councils or the Dáil.

He added that he “could never understand” the criticism of the councils and was left “a bit frustrated” by the 2014 decision.

Deputy Martin concluded: “The task force will be reporting in the first quarter of next year. There has been stakeholder consultation.

“I take the Deputy’s point about public consultation. We might ask the task force to have a look at that. It is examining structures, functions and the financing of local government.

“I take on board the Deputy's bona fides in the context of what he is saying. The report will come back to us and we will take it from there.”

In response, Deputy Healy said he acknowledged and fully accepted the Taoiseach’s personal support for the re-establishment of town and borough councils.

However, he called on Deputy Martin to intervene with the task force to ensure that borough and town councils are re-established nationwide.