Waterford Local Government Review

Press Releases

Date : November 17th, 2015

A formal Public Notice was published on 17th November 2015, inviting submissions with regard to the review. Submissions are to be received by 15th January 2016. It can be downloaded here.

Date : June 19th, 2015

Minister for the Environment, Community & Local Government, Mr. Alan Kelly TD, has announced the establishment of statutory committees to review local government boundaries in Athlone, Carlow, Drogheda and Waterford. “The main rationale for boundary alteration is to bring the administrative jurisdictions into line with the current settlement and development position and the reviews I have announced are clearly warranted given the significant overspill of population in each of these cases into another county”, the Minister said.

This process follows on from the previous announcements earlier this year (January 2015) in respect of the review of local government arrangements for both Cork & Galway City and County.

Outlining the benefits of boundary updates, the Minister added – “Bringing all of a town or metropolitan district within a single local authority area eliminates anomalies and distortions of divided administration, service provision, regulatory/enforcement responsibility and electoral representation, including problems such as competitive policies and practices between authorities in relation to planning, rating and charges, which can impact negatively on town centres. Consolidation of administrative responsibility can also strengthen the economic performance of the town or metropolitan district, both by eliminating the anomalies I have referred to and ensuring that there is a single authority working on its behalf.”

The committees will be convened shortly and will be tasked to review the local authority boundaries in the four instances involved.

The membership of the committees undertaking both the Drogheda and Athlone reviews will comprise:
  • Jack Keyes (former Cavan County Manager)(Chair)
  • Joe Allen (former Principal, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government)
  • Ciaran Lynch (Limerick Institute of Technology [Thurles Campus] and former Chief Planner, Clare County Council)

  • In the case of Waterford and Carlow, membership of the committees carrying out both reviews will be as follows:
  • David O’ Connor (former Fingal County Manager)(Chair)
    • John Martin (former Principal Planning Adviser in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government)
  • Ollie Killeen (former Head of Finance, Limerick County Council)

  • The groups will be established under section 28 of the Local Government Act 1991, which precludes elected representatives from participating and will act independently. Minister Kelly stated that he was delighted that people of such strong calibre and experience of local government were willing to come forward on a ‘pro-bono’ basis and assist in settling administrative boundaries for these areas. In accordance with sections 32 and 33 of the Local Government Act 1991, the committees will be required to carry out a review of the boundaries between the respective counties, and city and county in the case of Waterford, having regard to the environs of the urban areas in question located in another county.

    They will:
  • Make such recommendations with respect to the boundary, and any consequential recommendations with respect to the area of the Municipal, Borough or Metropolitan District that they consider to be necessary in the interests of effective and convenient local government
  • Prepare and furnish to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, a report in writing of that review and its recommendations.
  • Each of the four reviews are to be completed no later than 31 March 2016.

  • The full terms of reference for the groups are available here.