Local Development and Local Government in the Republic of Ireland

1998 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim Walsh
Author(s):  
Branislav Bijelić ◽  
Dejan Đorđević

The mutual relationship between spatial and development planning at the local level is a very current topic that has concrete consequences for development processes in local government units in the territory of Republika Srpska (RS). Although it is still unregulated from the legislative point of view, local development planning is much more present in practice, which is primarily manifested in the almost complete coverage of the territory of the RS by local development strategies. The connection of these documents to spatial and urban plans has not been treated in an appropriate way, which leads to a certain degree of their mutual inconsistency. The basic hypothesis of this paper arises from this statement, and that is that the lack of a clearly defined connection with spatial planning in the methodology of drafting local development documents leads to the inconsistency of these documents as the final result. As an auxiliary hypothesis, the assumption will be investigated that a large discrepancy in the coverage of the territory of the Republika Srpska between local development strategies and spatial plans of local government units also contributed to this inconsistency.


2015 ◽  
pp. 571-584
Author(s):  
Dragan Dokic

Emphasizing the development capabilities of the units of local self-government (ULSG) and the effects they can have on the market became increasingly visible in the last couple of years. The public sector to which ULSG belong represents a complex system with the objective to satisfy the needs of public interest. The contemporary local government gains a new dimension in a sense that it creates favorable conditions for local development. These tendencies point to the importance of strengthening local capacities aimed at creation of stimulating investment environment. The investments are considered an important source of new capital; but to attract them, a series of actions in local institutions need to be performed to meet the requirements of investors. In order to gain a large volume of investment, ULSG must not disregard social responsibility towards the local community. This work should draw attention to the importance of adequate management of municipal revenues and effects that investments may have on them. In this work, by comparative analysis, is examined the relationship of income and investments in ULSG in rural areas of the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Croatia.


2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Buckley ◽  
Caroline Hofman

Abstract This article presents a descriptive overview of women’s participation in the elected and administrative structures of local government in the Republic of Ireland. Drawing on analysis of candidate data and electoral results from the 2014 local elections, it shows that women’s political representation currently stands at just under 21 per cent, a record high for women’s participation in the elected structures of county and city councils. The article evaluates the lessons learned about political parties, gender and candidate recruitment at the 2014 local elections. It argues that the impending introduction of legislative gender quotas at the next general election was the main driving force behind women’s increased participation in these elections. Turning attention to the administrative structures of local authorities, it is revealed that men continue to dominate senior management positions. While increasing numbers of women are accessing senior management roles, gendered barriers remain. The article concludes by reflecting on the future prospects for women’s participation in both the elected and administrative structures of local government in the Republic of Ireland. It recommends an extension of legal gender quotas to local elections and a more proactive gender promotional and mentoring campaign within local government administrative structures.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Berry

Local government reform is on the agenda of many countries, particularly those with local government systems based on the Anglo-Saxon approach. In many of these jurisdictions, from Wales to the Republic of Ireland, to most of the Australian states and New Zealand, the dominant reform narrative is structural change, and the challenge faced in most of these jurisdictions is how to marry the apparent national interest in creating bigger councils with the desire of citizens to have a say about how their towns and districts are governed; it is a debate that inevitably finds governments’ technical experts at odds with local citizens. The resulting challenge has led to a range of new approaches to structural reform, optimistically designed to meet the needs of both.


2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 99-102
Author(s):  
Laura Shannon

Author(s):  
Purshottama S. Reddy

The post-1994 democratic developmental South African state opted for a strong local government system which has been constitutionalised, in terms of Chapter 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996. The politicisation of the local bureaucracy was inevitable as the ruling party sought to ensure that the executive leadership of municipalities shared the same political ideology and vision to facilitate local development. This raises the question, where does politicisation commence and end, and what is the ideal local political interface for efficient and effective service delivery and, more importantly, to ensure good governance? These questions have to take cognisance of the fact that South Africa is a ‘struggle democracy’ and development has to take place in historically disadvantaged areas, where services have been poor or non-existent. The historically advantaged areas have to also be maintained and upgraded, as they are key to financial sustainability of the municipalities. The increasing service delivery protests is a matter for concern, if one has to take cognisance of the popular adage highlighted in official literature, ‘if local government fails, South Arica fails’. Given that the struggles for a democratic South Africa were fought at the grassroots level, this has to translate to an improved quality of life for local communities. Consequently, sound political management is key to enhanced municipal service delivery and ultimately good local governance. This paper reviews political trends and developments up to 2016, but excludes any discussion on the recent local government elections.


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