Local Authorities

Laois County Council

Áras an Chontae
Portlaoise
Co. Laois

Web: www.laois.ie
Tel: +353 (0)57 8664000
Fax: +353 (0)57 8622313

Longford County Council

Great Water St.
Longford
Co. Longford

Web: www.longfordcoco.ie
Email: info@longfordcoco.ie
Tel: +353 (0)43 43300
Fax: + 353 (0)43 41233

Longford Town Council

Market Square
Longford
Co. Longford

Web: www.longfordtowncouncil.ie
Email: longfordtowncouncil@eircom.net
Tel: +353 (0)43 46474
Fax: +353 (0)43 45580

Offaly County Council

Áras an Chontae
Charleville Road, Tullamore
Co. Offaly

Web: www.offaly.ie
Tel: +353 (0)57 9346800
Fax: +353 (0)57 9346868

Birr Town Council

Birr Civic Offices
Wilmer Road, Birr
Co. Offaly

Web: www.offaly.ie/offalyhome/yourcouncil/towncouncils/BirrTC
Email: birrtc@offalycoco.ie
Tel: +353 (0)57 9124900
Fax: +353 (0)57 9124920

Edenderry Town Council

Town Hall
Edenderry
Co. Offaly

Web: www.offaly.ie/offalyhome/yourcouncil/towncouncils/EdenderryTC
Email: edentc@offalycoco.ie
Tel: +353 (0)46 9731256
Fax: +353 (0)46 9731921

Tullamore Town Council

Acres Hall
Cormac St. Tullamore
Co. Offaly

Web: www.offaly.ie/offalyhome/yourcouncil/towncouncils/TullamoreTC
Email: tulltc@offalycoco.ie
Tel: +353 (0)57 9352470
Fax: +353 (0)57 9352474

Westmeath County Council

County Building
Mount St, Mullingar
Co. Westmeath

Web: www.westmeathcoco.ie
Tel: +353 (0)57 9332000
Fax: +353 (0)57 9342330

Athlone Town Council

Civic Centre
Church St, Athlone
Co. Westmeath

Web: www.athlone.ie/UDC
Email: tclerk@athlonetc.ie
Tel: +353 (0)90 6442100
Fax: +353 (0)90 6479020

Prior to 2002, the elected local authorities comprised of the county councils (29), county borough corporations (5), borough corporations (5), urban district councils (49) and boards of town commissioners (26). In 2002, a number of local authorities were renamed, however the new names did not involve any change of functions. Borough corporations became borough councils, county borough corporations became city councils, and urban district councils and boards of town commissioners became town councils. The members of these authorities are elected on a system of proportional representation. County councils have a membership of from twenty to forty-six and city councils from fifteen to fifty-two members. Borough councils have twelve members; town councils have nine members.

In 2001, the Local Government Act, 2001 was implemented. This Act introduced the range of reforms set out under Better Local Government to enhance the fundamental democratic nature of local government, and repeals outdated law and terminology. The Act contains provision for the:

Establishment of a code of conduct for elected members and staff;
The introduction of the position of the position of directly-elected mayors or chairpersons by 2004
Support of community involvement with local authorities in a more participative local democracy;
Gives a statutory basis to the Strategic Policy Committees and County / City Development Boards; and
Modernisation of local government legislation, and provides the framework for new financial management systems and other procedures to promote efficiency and effectiveness.

Principal services:

The principal services are divided amongst eight programme headings:

1.	Housing and building;
2.	Road transportation and safety;
3.	Water supply and sewerage;
4.	Development incentives and controls;
5.	Environmental protection;
6.	Recreation and amenities;
7.	Agriculture, education, health and welfare; and
8.	Miscellaneous services.

Housing and building:
Duties include assessment of the adequacy of housing and the enforcement of minimum standards; the provision of housing for those unable to house themselves, and of assistance (e.g. loans) for other persons, providing or reconstructing houses; administering loans from the Housing Finance Agency. The policy document Social Housing - The Way Ahead, launched in May 1995, enables local authorities to offer a wide range of options. About a third of town councils (know as town commissioners before 2002) have more limited powers than other housing authorities; their functions are, in practice, largely confined to the management of their existing housing estates.

Road transportation and safety:
County councils, city councils and borough councils, and most town councils are road authorities for their areas and as such carry responsibility for the construction, improvement and maintenance of roads and bridges. Local authorities also have important traffic functions.

Water supply and sewerage:
Local sanitary authorities are concerned with the provision of water supplies, sewerage and drainage.

Development incentives and controls: County councils, city councils, borough councils, and most town councils have, under the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 2000, the duty of preparing and implementing development plans for their areas; of controlling development, and of preserving and improving amenities. Development plans are prepared for all planning areas, subject to revision every five years. Permission from the planning authority must be sought for any projected development, which includes building or other works on, in or under land, or making any material change in the use of any structures or other land. Any person may, within a specified period, appeal against the planning authority's decision to a board, An Bord Pleanala, consisting of a chairperson and five ordinary members.

The Planning and Development Act, 2000, radically streamlined the planning procedures, consolidated planning law and introduced new provisions in a number of areas, such as enforcement and regional planning guidelines.

Environmental protection:
Includes refuse collection and disposal, and street cleaning. Sanitary authorities may promote water safety, control pollution, and engage in a wide range of activities for the advancement of environmental health. Local authorities are also fire brigade authorities, but in practice the fire service is provided almost wholly by county councils and city councils. The service has two main aspects: (a) operation of fire brigades and (b) fire prevention.

Recreation and amenities:
Provision of swimming pools, parks, open spaces and community centres. The library service is largely provided by county councils and county borough corporations. It comprises central, county or city, branch and mobile libraries, and reference and information services in the larger centres.

Agriculture, education, health and welfare:
County councils, city councils and some boroughs and urban district councils appoint vocational education committees, and local authorities administer higher education grants. Health and welfare are no longer major functions of local authorities; however, minor residual functions in public assistance still remain with them

Miscellaneous services:
These include preparation of lists of voters and jurors, and the provision of courthouses and pounds. Under the Local Government Act, 1991 local authorities were granted new representational and general competence powers which created the possibility for them to enlarge the scope of their activities.

Management:
Under the management system, the functions of local authorities are divided into reserved functions and executive functions. The reserved functions, performed directly by the elected members of the local authority, comprise mainly decisions on major matters of policy and principle and include the adoption of annual estimates, borrowing of money, making of development plans, making, amending or revoking of bye-laws, bringing enactments into force and nominating persons to act on other public bodies. Every function which is not a reserved function is an executive function, performable directly by the manager.

The executive functions include the employment of staff, acceptance of tenders, management of the local authority's property, the collection of rates and rents and day-to-day administration. The county manager, as well as being manager for the county council, is manager for every borough corporation, urban district council, board of town commissioners, and every joint body whose functional area is wholly within the county. It is his or her duty to advise and assist them in the exercise of their reserved functions. The manager is bound by the decision of the elected members on the provisions made by them in the annual estimates and, save with their consent (which now requires the Minister's concurrence), cannot exceed the amount provided by them for any particular purpose.

The manager has the right to attend meetings and to take part in discussions but is not entitled to vote. Whenever requested by the chairperson or the elected members, the manager must furnish all information in his or her possession or procurement concerning any business of the authority. The manager must inform the elected members before undertaking any new works, other than works of maintenance or repair. The local authority may prohibit the undertaking of any such works thus brought to its notice, provided that they are not works which the local authority is required by law to undertake.

Following the publication of Better Local Government, proposals to establish (Strategic Policy Committees) covering the existing range of functions and local development issues were put in place. The Strategic Policy Committees comprise of elected representatives and representatives of the social partners at local level. The role of each Strategic Policy Committees is to assist the members of the authority in the formulation and review of policy. The work of each Strategic Policy Committees is supported by a director of services, and official of the local authority. A corporate policy group (CPG) has also been established in authority to line the work of the different Strategic Policy Committees, and will consist of the council chairperson of each Strategic Policy Committees. The work of the CPG is supported by the manager.

Finance:
Information on local finances can be found in the annual Returns of Local Taxation and the Annual Local Authority Estimates. Under the Action Programme for the Millennium, the government reviewed resources for 1998, the result of which was the passing into law of the Local Government Act, 1998. It established a local government fund, managed and controlled by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government. The fund is financed from two sources: the proceeds of motor taxation and an exchequer contribution.

Rates:
Commercial rates are levied annually by county councils, city councils, borough councils, and most town councils. Each of these authorities has exclusive rating jurisdiction within its own area. The rate levied by county councils is known as the county rate, while that levied by the other authorities is known as the municipal rate.

Charges for services:
Local authorities have power to charge for services, e.g. refuse collection, housing rents, processing of planning applications. The decision to charge for services is a reserved function.

Valuation:
The property which is assessed for rates is immovable property, such as buildings, factories, shops, railways, canals, mines, woods, rights of fishery and rights and easements over land. The valuing of property for rating is done for the whole state by the Valuation Office. Rating authorities have no valuing powers. The basis of the valuation of houses and other buildings is net annual value, that is, the net rent which a tenant might reasonably be expected to pay, but the level of the valuations is very much out of date.

Management of funds and accounts:
Local authorities are obliged to maintain accounts of their receipts and payments and to ensure that this is carried out in a fair and reasonable manner. Internal and external auditing arrangements are in place and are carried out in accordance with the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1871 as amended.

Registers of lands acquired, leased or mortgaged, charges on property and insurance details are maintained under the Public Bodies Order, 1946. County councils are obliged under Section 7 of the Local Government Act, 1946 to maintain an account described as 'The County Fund'. Municipal authorities are obliged, under their legislative framework, to maintain 'The Municipal Fund'. Almost all receipts and payments are issued from these funds and payment is made on the basis of an order issued to the council's bank. Local authorities are obliged to maintain their funds within the banking sector. There is no obligation on them to use state-owned banks.

In 2000, a new financial management system was introduced on a pilot basis in two local authority areas, and was subsequently extended to all local authorities. The new system replaced the previous cash accounting system with a financial management based on accrual accounting. The new system provides information on the costing of services, and allows responsibility for budgetary control to be developed to operational level within local authorities.

Capital expenditure:
Local authorities are empowered under the terms of the Planning Acts and the Local Government Act, 1991 to undertake virtually any kind of development including industrial and commercial development and to engage in promotional activities. However, the potential powers under the terms of the Planning Acts have remained under-utilised due to inadequate resources being available.