Councillors told reintroduction of Town Councils a matter for 'higher Government'

Louth County Councillors have been told it is unlikely the reintroduction of town and borough councils will be included in the Local Democracy Task Force Report. 

The report, which is set to be published in the coming weeks will establish a programme for the reform of Local Government. 

Councillors were told the reintroduction of Town and Borough councils will likely not be included in the report during a presentation from the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG), a body which represents elected councillors.

The issue was raised at the February meeting of Louth County Council by Green Party Councillor for Dundalk South Marianne Butler. 

Cllr Butler called for Town and Borough councils to be reintroduced. 

"We had two very proper grown up councils in Drogheda and Dundalk that were our own commercial rating authority, housing authority, planning authority."

She said Louth was "probably the biggest losers" of the Local Government reform in 2014, which abolished town councils and saw the number of local authorities reduced from 114 to 31. 

A spokesperson from AILG, said he wouldn't get into a debate on town councils, and said the reintroduction of them "wasn't on the terms of reference for the Local Democracy Taskforce" and therefore he didn't know whether any recommendations will come as a result. 

However it was said the power instead lies with "higher government". 

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Late last year, Taoiseach Micheál Martin indicated he would be in favour of the restoration of town councils and that he had originally been opposed to their abolition. 

Drogheda councillors also passed a motion at this month's Borough District meeting, in which Independent councillor Paddy McQuillan said the town had gone "backwards at 100 miles an hour". 

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.