One of the recommendations made in the Mahon Report, which is more then likely going to be over looked as most of the media will be looking at the findings against former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and others, is that Regional Authorities be directly elected.
The Tribunal is making this decision due to the role that the Regional Authorities play in Regional Planning Guidelines (RPGs) which has an impact on Local Devlopment Plans and other decisions made by local authorities.
There is not much knowledge of Regional Authorities in Ireland, which were set up under the Local Government Act 1991 and came into existence in 1994. There are eight Regional Authorities in Ireland.
They are:
- Dublin Regional Authority (Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin)
- Mid-East Regional Authority (County Kildare, County Meath and County Wicklow)
- Midlands Regional Authority (County Laois, County Longford, County Offaly and County Westmeath)
- West Regional Authority (Galway City Council, County Galway, County Mayo and County Roscommon)
- Border Regional Authority (County Cavan, County Donegal, County Leitrim, County Louth, County Monaghan and County Sligo)
- Mid-West Regional Authority (County Clare, Limerick City Council, County Limerick and North Tipperary)
- South-East Regional Authority (County Carlow, County Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford City Council, County Waterford and County Wexford)
- South-West Regional Authority (Cork City Council, County Cork and County Kerry)
The membership of the Regional Authorities varies between 21 in Mid-East Region to 37 in the Border Region. Currently the members of the Regional Authorities are nominated by the local authorities within the area covered.
An elected Regional Authority would be an important step in increasing local power and would be a good position in between Government and Local Government to negotiate policy for the regions and allow local governments to spend more time on local issues and have support from a Religion Authority.
Hopefully the Government will look at all the recommendations contained in the Mahon Report and not just those in connection with ethics and declarations of donations.
Related articles
- The household charge and local government in Ireland (mamanpoulet.com)
