15. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will immediately establish the local democracy task force promised in the programme for Government 2025 with a view to the early re-establishment of borough and town councils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24258/25]

111. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has costed the re-establishment of borough councils; if he will lead a reform programme to ensure the return of town and borough councils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15142/25]

Local government is the beating heart of democracy. It was abolished in 2014 by the Fine Gael and Labour Government. When will the Minister establish the local democracy task force promised in the programme for Government 2025 to re-establish local government?

I propose to take Question Nos. 15 and 111 together.

I thank the Deputy for his interest in this matter. Having served in local government for 11 years, I value the role of our councillors and of local democracy. This specific commitment is contained in the programme for Government. I have worked extensively on this since taking up this role a number of weeks ago. Both the Minister, Deputy Browne, and I have engaged with the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, and the Local Authorities Members Association, LAMA, the representative bodies for local councillors, in this regard.

As the Deputy rightly pointed out, the Local Government Reform Act 2014 dissolved 80 town councils, which represented just 14% of the population. The previous town council system also led to a duplication of 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 authority areas at sub-county level, while area committees operate in Cork, Dublin and Galway, and in metropolitan areas within the Limerick and Waterford areas.

We have not costed the re-establishment of town councils. We are finalising the terms of reference for the task force at present and hope to be able to bring them to Government shortly.

I thank the Minister. The town and borough councils were abolished in 2014. They were replaced by committees that have no powers, functions or funding. This abolition of town and borough councils has seriously damaged towns throughout the country, including in Clonmel where we had a form of local government going back to the 1400s. This is a very serious issue. I had hoped the Minister of State would give a timeline for the establishment of the local democracy task force initially and one for the completion of that work and the re-establishment of the councils.

We are over time.

Briefly, I am working to finalise the terms of reference of the local democracy task force to bring them to Government as quickly as possible. I want to see this task force established as quickly as possible. We are working on the terms of reference and I hope to see that body of work as soon as possible to be able to present options to Government for consideration.