Reforming local government

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is considering a report by the Local Democracy Taskforce before developing an implementation plan for government approval.

In March 2026, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD and Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Local Government and Planning, John Cummins TD, received the final report of the Local Democracy Taskforce.

Established in June 2025, the taskforce was tasked with finalising a programme of reform and strengthening of local government in Ireland.

The terms of reference for the taskforce, agreed by the Government in June 2025, set out a detailed work programme intended to give rise to a series of reforms in the local government sector.

The taskforce met on nine occasions over the previous eight months and was supported in its efforts by pillar groups that provided subject matter and technical expertise to the taskforce throughout the process.

The members of the Local Democracy Taskforce are:

• Jim Breslin, Chair;

• Councillor Kieran O’Hanlon, (Limerick City and County Council) (President AILG);

• Councillor Jimmy McClearn, (Galway County Council) (Vice President AILG);

• Councillor Anne Colgan, (AILG) (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council);

• Councillor Damien Ryan (LAMA Chairperson) (Mayo County Council);

• Councillor Brian Lawlor (LAMA General Secretary) (South Dublin County Council);

• Niamh Larkin and Daragh McMahon, Local Government Audit Service;

• Fiona Quinn, Assistant Secretary, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage;

• Michael McCarthy, National Oversight and Audit Commission Chairperson (NOAC);

• Paddy Mahon, Chief Executive, Longford County Council, (County and City Management Association);

• AnnMarie Farrelly, Chief Executive, Fingal County Council, (County and City Management Association);

• Pauline Mulligan, Chief Executive, LGMA;

• Bríd Quinn, Ireland’s representative on the Council of Europe’s CLRAE Group of Independent Experts and ex-University of Limerick Department of Politics and Public Administration;

• Philip Byrne, ex-Institute of Public Administration, Chair of Cork County Council and Wicklow County Council Audit Committees

Minister Browne says: “The establishment of the Local Democracy taskforce was a key priority in the Programme for Government and the pace at which the Taskforce completed their task is to be commended. I have no doubt that this work will pave the way for the next generation of local government reform.”

Minister of State Cummins says: “I will now consider the recommendations presented in the report along with the actions identified to deliver on these. I am keen to see the momentum for implementing reform maintained, and so it is my intention to prepare an implementation plan for consideration by government over the coming weeks.”

When asked by eolas Magazine for a delivery timeline, a Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage spokesperson said: “The taskforce submitted its final report to Ministers Browne and Cummins recently. An implementation plan is currently being drafted for consideration by government in the coming weeks. Following this, the report and implementation plan will be published and the process of implementing the reform policy ultimately agreed by government will commence.”