Phil Hogan's Local Reform

[joekilgobinet]

Waterford City, the oldest city in the country will lose its city status.
Plus The South East region will be no more.

[Baron von Biffo]

Biffo, councillors are corrupted by the local pressures that provisions like Section 140 put them under, particularly in the strongly clientilist culture that continues to pervade local government.

That's an argument for abolishing locally elected councillors.

[TotalMayhem]

Hogan was very adamant to stretch the importance of the cool local taxes. Has to be a good thing, right?

[MPB]

So only elected people can be corrupted.

Is it the power or the person that corrupts?

[Baron von Biffo]

So only elected people can be corrupted.

Is it the power or the person that corrupts?

+1

[Baron von Biffo]

why do we pay so much?


http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland...rs-189877.html

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/1010/ire...-business.html

[Richardbouvet]

No, of course people other than public representatives can be corrupt, but there is no doubt in most people's minds that councillors have been far more corrupt than officials.

In any case, it is not only about corruption - it is about bad planning.

Councillors have used section 4/140 to do favours for constituents. This has been prtefectly legal but it has been a disaster for planning.

If I gave the impression that this was only about corruption, I withdraw that; it is also about legal but socially and environmentally damaging abuses of planning powers.

[Slim Buddha]

No, of course people other than public representatives can be corrupt, but there is no doubt in most people's minds that councillors have been far more corrupt than officials.

In any case, it is not only about corruption - it is about bad planning.

Councillors have used section 4/140 to do favours for constituents. This has been prtefectly legal but it has been a disaster for planning.

If I gave the impression that this was only about corruption, I withdraw that; it is also about legal but socially and environmentally damaging abuses of planning powers.

+1. Dublin will never get out of the planning mess corrupt councillors created for personal enrichment. It is among the worst planned cities west of Smolensk. ANd it is mainly down to political corruption orchestrated by lobbyists like Dunlop, officials like Redmond and politicians like Lawlor. While planning corruption is associated most with Fianna Fail and is part of the DNA of that party, Fine Gael have dirty hands here too and should be reminded of that regularly.

[homer]

The powers of councillors to use Section 140 of the Local Government Act 2001, in respect of planning matters, will no longer apply.

If this means what I think it means, then Big Phil is now my friend for life.

It means the end of 90% of planning corruption in this country.

I agree with the repeal of S 140 of 2001 LG Act in respect of planning decisions.

But were there that many of them.? I read of quite a few in Kerry, but am aware that in other counties Co Managers took a robust view ( in suppport of the professional planners ). A lot of case law has developed currently making it virtually impossible to draft a valid S 140 motion

I was more concerned with the way many councillors dealt with the draft Development Plan - one of their most important functions. In the teeth of professional advice they indulged in heroic over zoning for housing. Many development plans were sent back by DOEHLG to have some of that rezoning reversed. Section 140 not involved in those cases, just rejection of that part of the Manager's Report

[Richardbouvet]

Yes that's true. This measure does not stop gombeen councillors from messing up draft development plans. Still, I think it is progress.

[Apjp]

+1. Dublin will never get out of the planning mess corrupt councillors created for personal enrichment. It is among the worst planned cities west of Smolensk. ANd it is mainly down to political corruption orchestrated by lobbyists like Dunlop, officials like Redmond and politicians like Lawlor. While planning corruption is associated most with Fianna Fail and is part of the DNA of that party, Fine Gael have dirty hands here too and should be reminded of that regularly.

You make a good point. My question though is how are we removing a: the potential for corruption in planning and b: the potential for abuse of planning by taking it away from people we elect, and therefore can sack at the next election, and giving it to county managers, and a travel hating hypocritical tax cheating auctioneer's centralized local govt. department which is full of his cronies?

Shouldn't the answer be to give each council a regional parliament with fiscal powers, and give the people direct democracy with which to keep their local reps in check? Nobody who knows of the Meath County Manager should rejoice in this decision anyways.

[Richardbouvet]

Too many of the "people we elect" and "can sack at the next election" are gombeens and crooks. Most of the worse ones keep getting re-elected in return for arranging planning permissions. The officials are professional planners, and it is likely that very few are corrupt.

There is no evidence whatever that the Dept of the environment is full of FG cronies. Most people in the department are professional civil servants with more integrity in their little fingers than all the "people we elect" put together.

[goatstoe]

I heard Fintan O'Toole on this today saying Hogan's proposals were inadequate. More power and crucially accountability at local government will help to eradicate the proliferation of gombeenism in the Dail.

The main criticism of Hogan's proposals is that it doesn't at all tackle the accountability and transparency issues at local government level, so waste of resources will go on like before with no repercussions for those involved.

[riposte]

The local councillors were only pigmies when it came to corruption.

http://www.politicalworld.org/showpo...42&postcount=6

[Ogiol]

This reform is only removing local democracy. If we were serious about reform of local government we would give it ALL the powers to deal with local issues. As well as elected local planning councils (within a national planning framework).

100% transparency with voting published weekly in local media and...

A provision for recall referenda.

Obligatory voting should also be in place for local elections.

Those are just some of the measures any real reform would consist of.