News

The on-going discussions on local government reform in Ireland include the question of whether there should be unitary authorities covering city and county councils as well as the necessity of creating greater balance between the roles of the manager and … Continue reading →

Queensland has a similar population to Ireland, some 4.6 million people with a major urban centre, Brisbane, at the heart of the State. At 1.85 million square Km it is slightly larger than the island of Ireland ( a mere … Continue reading →

One of the key gaps in understanding public policy processes in Ireland is the lack of on-going independent research on the processes and structures which are in place across all levels of government. This is particularly problematic when it comes … Continue reading →

The REPORT OF THE TRIBUNAL OF INQUIRY INTO CERTAIN PLANNING MATTERS & PAYMENTS has finally been published. In many respects given the extensive coverage of the work of the Tribunal some might suggest that there was nothing in it we … Continue reading →

The recent publication of the Statement of Strategy 2011-2014 for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government does, once again, highlight the reform challenges that will have to be confronted by those in local government and local development … Continue reading →

The Programme for Government in Ireland sets out to reform local government and the local institutional environment as a part of a re-configuration of the wider public sector. The existing system of County and Town Authorities is likely to be … Continue reading →

If you have not booked your place you now have only a few days to do so. There are a very limited number of spaces-less than 10 now available. The Speakers have now been fully confirmed and details are set … Continue reading →

As many readers will already know local government in Ireland is organised on the basis that Councillors have responsibility for what are called reserved functions while the County and City Managers are responsible for what are called executive functions. While … Continue reading →

Keeping up the momentum following publication of the draft Framework for Sustainable Development of Ireland, both the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Service Reform have published an Action Plan on … Continue reading →

The potential to build on existing local initiative The recent launch of the 2012 Action Plan for Jobs came with a mixed response from national commentators. In some instances, the Government was accused of using existing ideas. In part, it … Continue reading →