Local Government Reform Act 2014
Number 1 of 2014
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM ACT 2014
REVISED
Updated to 16 May 2024
This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the Local Government Reform Act 2014. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 (3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation of statute law.
All Acts up to and including Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Act 2024 (14/2024), enacted 9 May 2024, and all statutory instruments up to and including Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2024 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2024 (S.I. No. 207 of 2024), made 14 May 2024, were considered in the preparation of this revision.
Disclaimer: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify any errors, omissions and comments by email to
revisedacts@lawreform.ie.
Number 1 of 2014
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM ACT 2014
REVISED
Updated to 16 May 2024
CONTENTS
Preliminary and General
Section
1. Short title, collective citations, constructions and commencement
2. Regulations to remove difficulties
4. Regulations, orders and directions
5. Repeals, revocations and amendments
Local Government Areas and Local Authorities
9. Cesser and amalgamation of certain local government areas
10. Boundaries of amalgamated local government areas
11. Preparation of maps showing county boundaries
13. Establishment of local authorities for certain local government areas
15. Number of members of local authorities
16. Provisions relating to management of amalgamated local government areas
17. Dissolution of certain local authorities
18. Provisions consequential on dissolutions, etc.
Municipal Districts and Dissolution of Town Councils
Municipal Districts
20. Local electoral areas and municipal districts
21. Functions of municipal district members — amendments to Principal Act
22. Application of certain provisions of the 2001 Act to municipal district members
Dissolution of Town Councils
24. Dissolution of town councils and transfer date
25. Dissolution of town councils — consequential provisions
General Provisions Relating to Dissolutions, etc.
26. Consequential provisions on dissolution of certain bodies
27. Implementation of Act by local authorities, actions in anticipation of 2014 establishment day
28. Elections to local authorities in 2014
Financial Provisions Consequential on Dissolutions and Provisions relating to Rates
30. Amalgamation of local funds of certain city councils and county councils
31. Amendment of certain provisions relating to rates on vacant premises
32. Duty to inform rating authority of transfer of relevant property (Repealed)
33. Amalgamated valuation list
Community Development within Local Authority Areas
County Development Boards and City Development Boards
35. Dissolution of county development boards and city development boards
Local Community Development Committees
36. Local Community Development Committees
Local Authority Governance and Management, etc.
37. Alternative titles to Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach, etc.
39. Application of Chapter 2 of Part 5 of Principal Act to municipal district members
40. Effective discharge of business
41. Amendment of section 48 (strategic policy committees) of Principal Act
43. Amendment of section 66 (promotion of interests of local communities) of Principal Act
44. Local economic and community plan
45. Amendment of section 72 (transfer of certain functions to local authorities) of Principal Act
46. Consultation with local community
47. Reserved functions: duty of chief executive
48. Amendment of section 133 (corporate policy group) of Principal Act
49. Amendment of section 134 (corporate plan) of Principal Act
50. Local authority service delivery plans
51. Furnishing of information to elected council
52. Amendment of section 140 (requirement that a particular thing be done) of Principal Act
53. Members’ expenses, remuneration, etc. including training and attendance at conferences, etc.
55. Amendment of section 151 (chief executive acting by signed order, etc.) of Principal Act
56. Local authority associations
57. Amendment of Schedule 10 (meetings and proceedings of local authorities) to Principal Act
Financial Procedures, Audit and Oversight
Financial Procedures and Audit
58. Amendment to Chapter 1 (financial procedures) of Part 12 of Principal Act
60. Consideration of annual financial statement and auditor’s report
National Oversight and Audit Commission
61. National Oversight and Audit Commission
Regional Assemblies
Regional Assemblies and Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy
63. Regional assemblies and regional spatial and economic strategy
Plebiscite on Directly Elected Mayor for Dublin Metropolitan Area
65. Convening of forum and report to Minister
66. Resolutions of local authorities
69. Report to Houses of the Oireachtas
70. Costs of holding plebiscite
71. Steps taken prior to passing of Act
Non-Principal Private Residence Charge and Household Charge
73. Repeals relevant to Part 12
74. Arrears of non-principal private residence charge and late payment fees
75. Deceased sole owner and payment of non-principal private residence charge and late payment fees
76. Collection of undischarged liabilities relating to non-principal private residence liabilities
78. Validity of non-principal private residence charge and household charge collection activity
Local Government Fund and Irish Water
79. Amendment of section 6 of Local Government Act 1998
Dublin Docklands Development Authority
80. Amendment of Dublin Docklands Development Authority Act 1997
Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments to Local Government Acts 1925 to 2013
Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments to the Local Government Act 2001
Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments to Local Government Acts 1925 to 2013 (other than to the Local Government Act 2001) and to Certain Pre-1922 Local Government Acts
Consequential Amendments to Other Acts
Consequential Amendments to Housing Acts 1966 to 2013
Consequential Amendments to Local Elections Acts 1974 to 2012, to Electoral Acts 1992 to 2013 and to Local Elections Regulations 1995
Consequential Amendments to Local Government (Multi-Storey Buildings) Act 1988 and to Building Control Act 1990
Consequential Amendments to Planning and Development Act 2000
Consequential Amendments to Acts Relating to Taxation
Minor Amendments to Other Acts
Reserved Functions
Consequential Provisions Relating to Local Authorities
Relevant Body
Acts Referred to
|
(No. 8) |
|
|
Adoptive Leave Acts 1995 and 2005 |
|
|
(No. 6) |
|
|
(No. 21) |
|
|
(No. 15) |
|
|
(No. 14) |
|
|
(No. 3) |
|
|
(No. 3) |
|
|
Building Control Acts 1990 and 2007 |
|
|
(No. 3) |
|
|
(No. 1) |
|
|
(No. 19) |
|
|
(No. 19) |
|
|
(No. 12) |
|
|
(No. 51) |
|
|
Civil Defence Acts 1939 to 2012 |
|
|
(No. 12) |
|
|
(No. 33) |
|
|
(No. 32) |
|
|
Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2010 |
|
|
(No. 37) |
|
|
(No. 5) |
|
|
(No. 2) |
|
|
Criminal Justice (Public Order) Acts 1994 to 2011 |
|
|
(No. 10) |
|
|
(No. 25) |
|
|
(No. 14) |
|
|
(No. 29) |
|
|
(No. 7) |
|
|
(No. 15) |
|
|
(No. 11) |
|
|
(No. 43) |
|
|
(No. 23) |
|
|
(No. 25) |
|
|
Electoral Acts 1992 to 2013 |
|
|
Electoral Acts 1992 to 2014 |
|
|
Electoral, Local Government and Planning and Development Act 2013 |
(No. 27) |
|
(No. 35) |
|
|
(No. 40) |
|
|
(No. 20) |
|
|
(No. 7) |
|
|
(No. 2) |
|
|
(No. 52) |
|
|
(No. 30) |
|
|
(No. 23) |
|
|
(No. 17) |
|
|
Foreshore Acts 1933 to 2011 |
|
|
(No. 13) |
|
|
(No. 2) |
|
|
(No. 30) |
|
|
(No. 16) |
|
|
(No. 11) |
|
|
(No. 46) |
|
|
(No. 42) |
|
|
Health Acts 1947 to 2013 |
|
|
(No. 18) |
|
|
(No. 2) |
|
|
(No. 22) |
|
|
(No. 22) |
|
|
(No. 6) |
|
|
(No. 33) |
|
|
(No. 21) |
|
|
Housing Acts 1966 to 2013 |
|
|
(No. 15) |
|
|
(No. 31) |
|
|
(No. 6) |
|
|
(No. 15) |
|
|
Limerick City Management Act 1934 (No. 35) |
|
|
(No. 12) |
|
|
(No. 39) |
|
|
(No. 14) |
|
|
Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Act 1999 |
(No. 7) |
|
(No. 8) |
|
|
Local Elections Acts 1974 to 2012 |
|
|
(No. 42) |
|
|
(No. 30) |
|
|
(No. 27) |
|
|
(No. 35) |
|
|
(No. 36) |
|
|
(34 & 35 Vict., c.109) |
|
|
(61 & 62 Vict., c.37) |
|
|
(2 Edw. 7, c. 38) |
|
|
(No. 17) |
|
|
(No. 17) |
|
|
(No. 29) |
|
|
(No. 2) |
|
|
(No. 3) |
|
|
(No. 21) |
|
|
(No. 1) |
|
|
(No. 23) |
|
|
(No. 24) |
|
|
(No. 11) |
|
|
(No. 8) |
|
|
(No. 16) |
|
|
(No. 25) |
|
|
(No. 37) |
|
|
Local Government Acts 1925 to 2013 |
|
|
(No. 27) |
|
|
(No. 6) |
|
|
Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2004 |
|
|
(No. 34) |
|
|
Merchant Shipping Acts 1894 to 2010 |
|
|
Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts 1973 to 2005 |
|
|
(No. 10) |
|
|
(No. 7) |
|
|
(No. 34) |
|
|
(No. 14) |
|
|
(No. 17) |
|
|
(No. 2) |
|
|
National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2004 |
|
|
(No. 20) |
|
|
Parental Leave Acts 1998 and 2006 |
|
|
(No. 25) |
|
|
(No. 32) |
|
|
(No. 30) |
|
|
(No. 30) |
|
|
Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2013 |
|
|
(1 & 2 Vict., c. 56) |
|
|
(12 & 13 Vict., c. 104) |
|
|
(No. 28) |
|
|
(No. 29) |
|
|
(No. 45) |
|
|
Protection of Employment (Exceptional Collective Redundancies and Related Matters) Act 2007 |
(No. 27) |
|
(No. 7) |
|
|
Protection of Employment Acts 1977 to 2007 |
|
|
(No. 27) |
|
|
(No. 16) |
|
|
Public Libraries (Ireland) Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict., c. 38) |
|
|
Public Libraries Act (Ireland) 1855 (18 & 19 Vict., c. 40) |
|
|
Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 |
(No. 33) |
|
(No. 37) |
|
|
(No. 21) |
|
|
Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 to 2012 |
|
|
Redundancy Payments Acts 1996 to 2011 |
|
|
(No. 24) |
|
|
(No. 7) |
|
|
(No. 12) |
|
|
(No. 44) |
|
|
(No. 14) |
|
|
(No. 18) |
|
|
(No. 29) |
|
|
Sea Pollution Acts 1991 to 2006 |
|
|
(No. 26) |
|
|
(No. 1) |
|
|
(No. 4) |
|
|
Survey (Ireland) Acts 1825 to 1870 |
|
|
(No. 39) |
|
|
(No. 5) |
|
|
Terms of Employment (Information) Acts 1994 to 2012 |
|
|
(No. 12) |
|
|
(No. 10) |
|
|
Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977 to 2007 |
|
|
(No. 24) |
|
|
(No. 27) |
|
|
(No. 13) |
|
|
Valuation Acts 2001 and 2006 |
|
|
(No. 36) |
|
|
(No. 10) |
|
|
(No. 30) |
|
|
(No. 25) |
Number 1 of 2014
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM ACT 2014
REVISED
Updated to 16 May 2024
An Act to make further and better provision in relation to local government and, in particular, to amalgamate Limerick County Council with Limerick City Council, Waterford County Council with Waterford City Council and North Tipperary County Council with South Tipperary County Council, to provide for the position of chief executive in relation to each local authority, to dissolve town councils, to make provision for municipal districts, to assign additional reserved functions to local authority members, to dissolve County Development Boards and City Development Boards and make provision for the establishment of Local Community Development Committees, for planning and oversight of Local and Community Development Programmes, to provide for an increased role for local authorities in economic development and enterprise support, to amend the Local Government Act 1991 and provide for regional assemblies, to enable (subject to certain preconditions) a plebiscite to be held in the administrative areas of the local authorities in the Dublin area in respect of a directly elected mayor for that area and for those and other purposes to amend the Local Government Acts 1925 to 2013, the Local Elections Acts 1974 to 2012and other enactments relating to elections, the Housing Acts 1966 to 2013 and the Planning and Development Act 2000, to amend other Acts in connection with the foregoing matters, to amend section 20 of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority Act 1997 and to provide for related matters.
[27 th January, 2014]
Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows:
Annotations
Modifications (not altering text):
C1
Functions transferred and references to "Cathaoirleach" or "Cathaoirligh", "Leas-Chathaoirleach", "chief executive" and "deputy chief executive" construed (16.05.2024) by Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2024 (7/2024), ss. 10, 23, 25, 26, 28 and sch. 1 parts 1, 2, S.I. No. 207 of 2024.
Functions of Mayor
10. (1) All functions (other than functions conferred by or under an enactment specified in Part 1 of Schedule 1) that, immediately before the vesting day, vested in the Cathaoirleach of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after that day, vest in the Mayor.
(2) All functions (other than functions conferred by or under an enactment specified in Part 2 of Schedule 1) that, immediately before the vesting day, vested in the chief executive of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after that day, vest in the Mayor.
(3) From the vesting day, a reference in any enactment (other than an enactment specified in Part 1 of Schedule 1) to Cathaoirleach shall, in so far as the reference applies to the Cathaoirleach of Limerick City and County Council, be construed as a reference to the Mayor, or as including a reference to the Mayor, as the context requires.
(4) From the vesting day, a reference in any enactment (other than an enactment specified in Part 2 of Schedule 1) to chief executive shall, in so far as that reference applies to the chief executive of Limerick City and County Council, be construed as a reference to the Mayor, or as including a reference to the Mayor, as the context requires.
(5) This section shall apply subject to the modifications of the Principal Act specified in Schedule 3.
...
Functions of Príomh Chomhairleoir
23. (1) All functions conferred by or under an enactment specified in Part 1 of Schedule 1 that, immediately before the vesting day, vested in the Cathaoirleach of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after that day, vest in the Príomh Chomhairleoir.
(2) From the vesting day, a reference in an enactment specified in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to Cathaoirleach or Cathaoirligh shall, in so far as that reference applies to the Cathaoirleach of Limerick City and County Council, be construed as a reference to the Príomh Chomhairleoir, or as including a reference to the Príomh Chomhairleoir, as the context may require.
(3) This section shall apply subject to the modifications of the Principal Act specified in Schedule 3.
...
Functions of Leas-Phríomh Chomhairleoir
25. (1) All functions conferred by or under any enactment that, immediately before the vesting day, vested in the Leas-Chathaoirleach of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after that day, vest in the Leas-Phríomh Chomhairleoir.
(2) From the vesting day, a reference in any enactment to Leas-Chathaoirleach shall, in so far as that reference applies to the Leas-Chathaoirleach of Limerick City and County Council, be construed as a reference to the Leas-Phríomh Chomhairleoir, or as including a reference to the Leas-Phríomh Chomhairleoir, as the context may require.
(3) This section shall apply subject to the modifications of the Principal Act specified in Schedule 3.
Director general
26. (1) The chief executive of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after the vesting day, be known as the director general of Limerick City and County Council and is in this Act referred to as the “director general”.
(2) The person who, immediately before the vesting day, was the chief executive of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after that day, continue in office and be referred to in accordance with subsection (1).
(3) On and after the vesting day, a reference in an enactment specified in Part 2 of Schedule 1 to chief executive shall, in so far as that reference applies to the chief executive of Limerick City and County Council, be construed as a reference to the director general, or as including a reference to the director general, as the context may require.
(4) This section shall apply subject to the modifications of the Principal Act specified in Schedule 3.
...
Deputy director general
28. (1) On and after the vesting day, a deputy chief executive appointed by the director general under section 148 of the Principal Act shall be known as the deputy director general of Limerick City and County Council and is, in this Act, referred to as the “deputy director general”.
(2) The person who, immediately before the vesting day, was the deputy chief executive of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after that day, continue in office and be referred to in accordance with subsection (1).
(3) On and after the vesting day, a reference in any enactment to deputy chief executive shall, in so far as the reference applies to the deputy chief executive of Limerick City and County Council, be construed as a reference to the deputy director general, or as including a reference to the deputy director general, as the context may require.
(4) This section shall apply subject to the modifications of the Principal Act specified in Schedule 3.
...
SCHEDULE 1
PART 1
Enactments for Purposes of Sections 10 and 23
|
Number and Year (1) |
Provision (2) |
Extent of Modification (3) |
|
No. 37 of 2001 |
Local Government Act 2001 |
Sections 11(5)(b), 11(8), 31(4)(a), 31(5), 31(7), 31(9), 31(11), 33, 34(2)(e), 36, 37, 38, 104(7)(a), 133(6)(a), 134(4)(b), 140(8), 141(1)(b), 141(4), 142(2)(a), 142(5)(f), 143(1), 147, 148, 158(3), 174(8), 178(2)(b), 178(5), 180(3)(a), 189(9), 190(9), 216(2)(a), 219(1) and 220(1); paragraphs 3(4), 4(2), 4(3), 6(1), 6(2), 6(3), 7(9), 10, 13(5)(e), 13(6) and 16(4)(c) of Schedule 10; paragraph 3 of Schedule 14. |
PART 2
Enactments for Purposes of Sections 10 and 26
...