Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 July 2026
198. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to take into consideration the importance of Killarney town as an international tourist destination, the importance of the town to County Kerry's economy by re-establishing Killarney Town Council as a matter of priority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50280/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Local Government Reform Act 2014 dissolved the 80 town councils which represented just 14% of the population, including Killarney town council. The previous town council system also led to duplication both in administrative and electoral terms. Instead, the Act saw the introduction of 95 municipal districts, representing 100% of the population in 25 of the 31 local authorities at sub-county level, while area committees would operate in the 3 city authorities of Cork, Dublin and Galway, and the 3 Dublin county authorities.
Each municipal district can include several towns and villages and their hinterlands, with local matters dealt with at municipal district level and wider strategic issues decided at county level. The result is an integrated administrative structure in each county, which maximises operational efficiency while ensuring devolved decision-making throughout the county.
The Local Democracy Taskforce, a key commitment in the Programme for Government, was established in July 2025 with the purpose of bringing forward a suite of reforms across the Local Government Sector. The Taskforce was to build on the considerable body of work previously undertaken by the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG), CLARE (Congress of Local and Regional Authorities) and Seanad Éireann. The Local Democracy Taskforce presented its final report to me on 4 March 2026. A key consideration by the Taskforce when considering its Terms of Reference was that the recommendations made would be made in a manner that would allow for the successful implementation of the recommendations. An implementation plan is currently being drafted with a view to bringing the report and implementation to plan to Government for consideration shortly. Following this, the report and implementation plan will be published and the process of implementing the reform policy ultimately agreed by Government will commence.
