A Eagarthóir, The present very severe spell of arctic type weather and the struggle by local authorities to deal with its consequences calls into the question once again the manner in which the funding of councils – county and town – is dealt with by central government.

The begging bowl syndrome that is at the heart of the inadequate funding system of councils clearly demonstrates the condescending attitude of government to them.

Many readers will remember how Fianna Fáil, prior to the 1977 general election, committed to abolishing domestic rates and car tax. On achieving a massive majority they kept those promises – the vehicle taxation one only briefly. Ever since councils have subsisted at the mercy of government and bereft of the ability to plan meaningfully for their future. Stripped bare of consistent funding they depend excessively on the whim of the ministers and departments.

Since that fateful election there have been much trumpeted, though ultimately feeble, attempts at the reform of local government The most recent effort was led by Minister Noel Dempsey and the end result did nothing to rid councils of their almost parasitic relationship with government.

At the height of the Tiger's roar and during the ultimately destructive building frenzy, councils were authorised to consider the introduction of development levies.

These levies were a crude and arbitrary form of local taxation. Their ability to generate revenue was selective and totally dependant on building taking place. Now that the inevitable slump has come in that business, there is little or no revenue accruing to councils from that source. As a result there is a severe shortfall in revenue and Councils will soon be forced to examine some other variation of that unfair and inequitable scheme.

Year after year millions of euro is generated in this county through P. A. Y. E., V. A. T., Corporation Tax, Residential Property Tax and other schemes and sadly it is all subsumed into the central exchequer. If a fixed and consistent amount of that money was allowed to remain 'at home' then the local authorities would have sufficient independence to make meaningful long term plans for the protection and development of the areas in their care.

But Central Government and Oireachtas members do not wish for that to happen as it might diminish their feelings of importance and their grand announcements welcoming even the most basic of necessities. Far too many of our deputies and senators very quickly forget their political roots and the chambers that nurtured them.

Any meaningful review of how local authorities are run must also seriously consider the wisdom of having a solely annual budget. I'm reasonably sure that families do not determine at the beginning of a year how they will spend all available money. Rather, they adopt a short to medium term plan that incorporates strategic planning for three or four years. If councils were allowed to introduce and operate such a realistic system the public would be in receipt of a much better and more reliable service – a service that is their entitlement.

In council debates I have termed what has happened to date as 'the deform of local government'. I felt sadly justified recently when a former ministerial adviser similarly described the reality of how governments have seriously downgraded and degraded local democracy.

Bunreacht na h-Éireann recognises the role of local authorities in providing a forum for the representation of local communities. As at present financed, those authorities are unable to do that job properly and will remain incapable of doing so until a more federal form of government is introduced. The need is urgent and action must soon be taken in order that people receive the service to which they are democratically entitled.

Le Gach Dea-Ghuí,

Michael Gleeson (Mayor of Killarney)
Clasheen,
Killarney.