28 March 2019
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Speaking in advance of the committee scrutiny of Labour’s Bill to restore Town Councils, leader of the Labour Party Brendan Howlin TD called on people in towns across Ireland to support the restoration of Town Councils as an issue in the upcoming local elections.
Deputy Howlin said:
“Town Councils are good for local economies and more balanced regional development. And they are essential to strengthen democracy in Ireland.
“Our democracy is 100 years old but we cannot take it for granted. All over the world, we are seeing bitter political divides and the rise of negative populism that offers no real solutions. Town Councils represent responsive and accountable democracy that can efficiently address many of people’s essential needs.
“I was a member of the Government that carries collective responsibility for the decision to abolish Town Councils, but having seen the effect of that decision, I am not afraid to admit that it was a mistake and that Town Councils should now be restored.
“The new Municipal Districts that were meant to replace Town Councils have not worked as well for towns. They are sub-committees of the County Council, with certain delegated function, but they do not have the dedicated focus on town development and they often have much larger areas under their responsibility. This change has meant a loss of staff in towns to carry out maintenance and repairs, for example, which slows down the response time to local needs.
“Citizens, trade unions, local businesses and business associations have been calling for the restoration of Town Councils. Towns are important economic hubs that serve the wider rural economy and they are essential for regional economic development.
“The lack of an elected town mayor has led to a loss of leadership for the development of towns and a loss of a known, local figurehead to preside at ceremonies and to promote tourism and cultural events.
“Town Councils of old were not perfect. But the real solution should have been to reform and rebuild local democracy at town level, not to sweep everything away.
“A Town Council has a singular focus on the development, prosperity and wellbeing of its town. Labour’s goal is to restore Town Councils in order to give a much needed boost to at least 80 of Ireland’s towns.
“I would call on everyone to support Labour’s call for the restoration of Town Councils at the upcoming local elections.”
Notes
Labour’s Local Government (Restoration Of Town Councils) Bill 2018 is private members legislation (coming from opposition).
Details here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2018/74/
The core proposals in the Bill are:
- to provide for the restoration of the smallest tier of local government, the town councils, which were abolished by the Local Government (Reform) Act 2014
- to define a town (a ‘qualifying built-up area’) as having 1,000 or more dwellings occupied by at least 5,000 residents, and having a clearly defined urban centre
- to repeal sections 23 to 34 of the Local Government (Reform) Act 2014, which abolished town councils
- to make each town council the local authority of its town, and a rating authority
- to allow for elections of nine councillors to towns with a population between 5,000 and 25,000, and for 15 councillors to towns where the population of the town exceeds 25,000
- Every enactment that previously applied to the old town councils before their dissolution shall apply to the town councils established under this Bill.
The implications of the Bill are that over 80 towns would have a town council established in them (see list below), including some towns that never had a town council before but excluding very small towns that had a town council historically but no longer meet the population requirements.
A number of other towns have populations close to 5,000, and some areas that were not traditionally designated as towns could become towns under this legislation (e.g. Blanchardstown).
The full explanatory memorandum is here: https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/bill/2018/74/eng/memo/b7418d-memo.pdf
List of Towns with a Population over 5,000 (as of Census 2016) with Cork towns highlighted
Arklow, Wicklow 13,163
Ashbourne, Meath 12,679
Athlone, Westmeath 21,349
Athy, Kildare 9,677
Balbriggan, Fingal 21,722
Ballina, Mayo 10,171
Ballinasloe, Galway 6,662
Bandon, Cork 6,957
Blessington, Kildare and Wicklow 5,520
Bray, Wicklow 32,600
Buncrana, Donegal 6,785
Carlow, Carlow 24,272
Carrickmacross, Monaghan 5,032
Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary 5,771
Carrigaline, Cork 15,770
Carrigtwohill, Cork 5,080
Castlebar, Mayo 12,068
Cavan, Cavan 10,914
Ceanannas Mór (Kells), Meath 6,135
Celbridge, Kildare 20,288
Clane, Kildare 7,280
Clonmel, Tipperary 17,140
Cobh, Cork 12,800
Donabate, Fingal 7,443
Drogheda, Louth 40,956
Droichead Nua/Newbridge, Kildare 22,742
Dunboyne, Meath 7,272
Dundalk, Louth 39,004
Dungarvan, Waterford 9,227
Edenderry, Offaly 7,359
Ennis, Clare 25,276
Enniscorthy, Wexford 11,381
Fermoy, Cork 6,585
Gorey, Wexford 9,822
Greystones-Delgany, Wicklow 18,140
Kilcock, Kildare 6,093
Kildare, Kildare 8,634
Kilkenny, Kilkenny 26,512
Killarney, Kerry 14,504
Kinsale, Cork 5,281
Kinsealy-Drinan, Fingal 6,643
Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington-Donacarney, Meath 11,872
Leixlip, Kildare 15,504
Letterkenny, Donegal 19,274
Longford, Longford 10,008
Loughrea, Galway 5,556
Lusk, Fingal 7,786
Malahide, Fingal 16,550
Mallow, Cork 12,459
Maynooth, Kildare 14,585
Midleton, Cork 12,496
Monaghan, Monaghan 7,678
Mullingar, Westmeath 20,928
Naas, Kildare 21,393
Navan (An Uaimh), Meath 30,173
Nenagh, Tipperary 8,968
New Ross, Wexford 8,040
Newcastle West, Limerick 6,619
Passage West, Cork 5,843
Portarlington, Laois and Offaly 8,368
Portlaoise (Maryborough), Laois 22,050
Portmarnock, Fingal 9,466
Ratoath, Meath 9,533
Roscommon, Roscommon 5,876
Roscrea, North Tipperary 5,446
Rush, Fingal 9,943
Sallins, Kildare 5,849
Shannon, Clare 9,729
Skerries, Fingal 10,043
Sligo, Sligo 19,199
Swords, Fingal 39,248
Thurles, Tipperary 7,940
Tralee, Kerry 23,691
Tramore, Waterford 10,381
Trim, Meath 9,194
Tuam, Galway 8,767
Tullamore, Offaly 14,607
Westport, Mayo 6,198
Wexford, Wexford 20,188
Wicklow, Wicklow 10,584
Youghal, Cork 7,963
