CR: The Local Government Reform Act 2014 marked some far-reaching changes to Ireland’s local government system. Have these changes led to an improved system to justify the term ‘reform’, are they meeting the needs of the 21st century councillor in Ireland, and if not, then what other reforms are needed?
AILG President: The 2014 Local Government Reform Act undoubtedly brought about substantial changes to the structures, functions and operations of local government in Ireland. These reforms aimed to streamline governance, improve efficiency and enhance local accountability.
While we can acknowledge that the Act marked a pivotal moment for local government, the term ‘reform’ suggests an ongoing process and that’s where the discussion becomes more nuanced.
In many ways, the reforms helped to modernise the system but at a cost of centralising many functions. From the perspective of the 21st century councillor, evidenced from AILG’s Maynooth University Councillor Research Report, there are areas that still need further development.
The evolving demands on local representatives – particularly in addressing complex issues like climate change, housing shortages, and digital transformation – require more than structural changes. Councillors today need enhanced autonomy, additional resources and more direct control over local decision-making. The AILG has consistently highlighted that while the 2014 reforms were a step in the right direction, we must go further to truly empower local councillors.
For local government to meet the needs of modern Ireland, further reforms are required. We need greater decentralisation to allow councillors to act decisively on local issues. Financial resources must be improved to equip councils with the necessary tools to address their communities’ needs.
Additionally, councillors require access to training and modern operational tools to handle the increasingly complex demands of their role effectively. Reform should ultimately be seen as an ongoing, dynamic process.
While the changes in 2014 were important, the system must keep evolving to meet the needs of both local representatives and citizens. With the upcoming General Election and a new Programme for Government, there is a valuable opportunity for a thorough review of local government and its place within the broader public service.
Genuine local government reform is inseparable from national public service reform –
a crucial link that has been overlooked over the past decade of changes. They are two sides to a single coin – you cannot have one without the other.
CR: Despite a record 681 female candidates contesting the 2024 Local Elections ring – the result was very similar to 2019 with 247 women elected to council chambers (i.e. 26% of the total no. of candidates). What changes are needed to see a greater gender balance for the 2029 Local Elections, e.g. should co-option be more on the agenda?
AILG President: The increase in female candidates for the 2024 Local Elections is a positive sign, but it’s clear that we still have much work to do in achieving true gender balance in our council chambers. The fact that only 26% of elected councillors are women, despite the efforts of AILG, See Her Elected, and Women for Election, highlights the complexity of the challenge we face.
Encouraging more women to run for office is only the first step – ensuring that they are elected and supported in their roles is just as crucial and additional family-friendly measures should be considered as we head into a new five-year council term. Another issue that AILG has consistently raised is that employers should be required to allow for councillor attendance at meetings and training as this is regularly raised by our members as a barrier to participation. There is good reason to remain optimistic.
In 2020, following the General and Seanad Elections, there was a conscious effort by political parties to nominate women through co-option, which successfully boosted female participation, increasing it from 24% to 26%.
With another General Election on the horizon, if the main political parties continue to show strong commitment to nominate women through co-option, we could see female representation rise to 30%. However, it’s important to strike the right balance – co-option should not be viewed as a replacement for the democratic process but rather as a complementary tool to promote diversity where needed.
To achieve greater gender balance by 2029, several key areas will require focus. From the AILG’s perspective, we are very encouraged by the success of the WoMeN’s Regional Caucus pilot project, a collaboration between AILG and See Her Elected, which commenced in June 2021, to establish a support network for women councillors at the regional level.
The initial pilot involved 13 local authorities, but AILG would like to see a regional caucus structure fully resourced and expanded to all 31 local authorities so that all 247 female councillors can benefit from this structure and further strengthen their capacity.
