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The need for a vibrant empowered system of local government in Ireland has
always been a central platform of Sinn Fein's political philosophy. The
history of local government in Ireland in the years since partition has been
one where the possibility of such an empowered system of local democracies
is growing ever more remote.
In the 26 Counties we have witnessed the erosion of local government
structures in the years since partition. 75% of the local authorities
inherited by the Dublin Government have since been dissolved. Their
autonomy and powers have been systematically diluted. Decade after decade
local government has been `reformed' by central government and each so
called reform has been a further blow to the cause of real local democracy.
In the Six Counties, local government structures were deliberately
restructured to exclude and disempower nationalist communities. The current
system of 26 district councils still bears the legacy of unionist hegemony
and discrimination is still the norm in many council chambers. This system
is far from satisfying Sinn Fein's criteria of what real democratic local
government should be.
Sinn Fein has welcomed the establishment of a Devolution Commission and the
commissioning of consultancy studies in the 26 Counties. These decisions
show that even within central government there is a recognition that the
current system of local government is untenable.
However we also believe that the decision to delay local elections in the
26 Counties this year is wrong one. It undermines the democratic basis of
local government.
The reasoning behind the cancelled local elections is an old one. Central
government wants to reform local government structures and that the 1999
elections will be under the new system.
Sinn Fein welcomes real reform but the delay in reaffirming the democratic
legitimacy of local government is shameful. If though there is real reform
it must adhere to the following basic tenets:
(1) Access to funding. Local authorities need to have control of their own
funding in order to be an effective autonomous tier of government. Sinn
Fein believes that local authorities should have their own tax raising
powers in tandem with a centralised system.
(2) Decentralisation of functions and powers. Currently in the 26 Counties
local government administers less than 10% of total government funding. The
EU average is 30% and in some states is even higher. Sinn Fein believes
that at the very least we should be aiming for the EU average.
Alongside the function of administering public sector budgets must come the
power to determine how that funding should be spent. The first report of
the Devolution Commission proposes only the disbursement of set functions
to local government without the power to focus such functions on the actual
needs of local communities.
(3) Transparent and open planning regulations. Local government in the 26
Counties has been dogged by abuses of the planning laws and regulations for
nearly 40 years. Any reform of local government must radically alter the
process of planning decision making by local councils into an open and
transparent process free from abuse.
(4) Bottom up participation. The aim of local government should be one of
maximum participation of the people and groups that make up the communities
that elect local councils. In the current system many feel isolated and
excluded from local government. Effective and democratic local government
only happens when everyone has access to the democratic structures that are
supposed to represent them.
(5) Statutory terms of office. Local government elections terms should be
set into the constitutional legislation to prevent the current process of
moving elections for short-term political gain.
(6) Reform of local government administration. The current system in local
government of appointing council managers is one that must be reformed as
in many cases the power of these unelected officials transcends that of the
councils they are supposed to be working for.
Monaghan Comhairle Ceantair
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That this Ard Fheis recognises the major crisis in the public and private
housing sectors and calls on the Dublin government to intervene immediately
with the following measures.
(a) Major investment in a public house building program so as to alleviate
and reduce the 34,000 applicants on the public housing list.
(b) That stamp duty be removed from the sale of second hand houses in order
to reduce the cost of housing and affordable for young people wanting to
buy their own home.
(c) That a form of price control be placed on property developers. That the
present system of development has forced people out of the housing market.
Doherty/Delaney Cumann, An Uaimh
