Stronger powers for local authority members to remove county and city managers will be included in new legislation to be published this year, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government said yesterday.
Mr Dempsey told councillors, meeting in Waterford, that the Local Government Bill would strengthen their powers in a number of areas.
Addressing the annual conference of the Local Authority Members' Association (LAMA), attended by 500 councillors from both sides of the Border, he said the Bill would include a provision to remove any doubt about council members' power to direct the manager "to do a negative act".
In other words, members would have a specific power to direct a manager not to do something, in addition to their current power to direct that he or she carry out a particular function.
In addition, Mr Dempsey said, he was considering giving an observer role to the cathaoirleach or mayor of a council in the interview process leading to the appointment of the manager.
The Minister said another provision in the Bill, ensuring the public had a right to attend meetings, would guarantee fuller participation by local communities, and communication between them and local authorities, in the decision-making process.
Longer terms of office for mayors and cathaoirligh, leading to their direct election in the future, and more communication with the electorate by ensuring regular local elections, would also feature in the Bill, which is due to be published by the middle of this year.
Mr Dempsey said the consultation process on the Bill was not yet finished and he intended to have further discussions with LAMA on a submission it had made concerning the proposed changes.
