In Ireland, a town council was the second (or lower) tier of local government from 2002 to 2014.
Operating in smaller towns and cities, they exercised limited functions which were subsidiary to those of their relevant county council. The term was introduced into local government in Ireland by the Local Government Act 2001. From 1 January 2002 the existing urban district councils and boards of town commissioners became town councils. The city of Kilkenny, along with the four boroughs of Sligo, Drogheda, Clonmel, and Wexford, had the same status under the new legislation as towns; however, they had borough councils as successors to the previous borough corporations. There were 75 other town councils in addition to these five borough councils. Outside the towns, the county councils were solely responsible for local services.
On 16 October 2012, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government published Putting People First, an "action plan for effective local government". This recommended the abolition of town councils. The town councils were abolished in June 2014 under the Local Government Reform Act 2014.
Town councils (2002–2014) Town council County Previous statusArdeeCounty LouthTown commissionersArklowCounty WicklowUrban districtAthloneCounty WestmeathUrban districtAthyCounty KildareUrban districtBalbrigganFingalTown commissionersBallinaCounty MayoUrban districtBallinasloeCounty GalwayUrban districtBallybayCounty MonaghanTown commissionersBallyshannonCounty DonegalTown commissionersBandonCounty CorkTown commissionersBantryCounty CorkTown commissionersBelturbetCounty CavanTown commissionersBoyleCounty RoscommonTown commissionersBirrCounty OffalyUrban districtBrayCounty WicklowUrban districtBuncranaCounty DonegalUrban districtBundoranCounty DonegalUrban districtCarlowCounty CarlowUrban districtCarrickmacrossCounty MonaghanUrban districtCarrick-on-SuirSouth TipperaryUrban districtCashelSouth TipperaryUrban districtCastlebarCounty MayoUrban districtCastleblayneyCounty MonaghanUrban districtCavanCounty CavanUrban districtClonakiltyCounty CorkUrban districtClonesCounty MonaghanUrban districtCobhCounty CorkUrban districtCootehillCounty CavanTown commissionersDundalkCounty LouthUrban districtDungarvanCounty WaterfordUrban districtEdenderryCounty OffalyTown commissionersEnnisCounty ClareUrban districtEnniscorthyCounty WexfordUrban districtFermoyCounty CorkUrban districtGoreyCounty WexfordTown commissionersGranardCounty LongfordTown commissionersGreystonesCounty WicklowTown commissionersKellsCounty MeathUrban districtKilkeeCounty ClareTown commissionersKillarneyCounty KerryUrban districtKilrushCounty ClareUrban districtKinsaleCounty CorkUrban districtLeixlipCounty KildareTown commissionersLetterkennyCounty DonegalUrban districtLismoreCounty WaterfordTown commissionersListowelCounty KerryUrban districtLongfordCounty LongfordUrban districtLoughreaCounty GalwayTown commissionersMacroomCounty CorkUrban districtMallowCounty CorkUrban districtMidletonCounty CorkUrban districtMonaghanCounty MonaghanUrban districtMountmellickCounty LaoisTown commissionersMuine BheagCounty CarlowTown commissionersMullingarCounty WestmeathTown commissionersNaasCounty KildareUrban districtNavanCounty MeathUrban districtNenaghNorth TipperaryUrban districtNewbridgeCounty KildareTown commissionersNew RossCounty WexfordUrban districtPassage WestCounty CorkTown commissionersPortlaoiseCounty LaoisTown commissionersShannonCounty ClareTown commissionersSkibbereenCounty CorkUrban districtTemplemoreNorth TipperaryUrban districtThurlesNorth TipperaryUrban districtTipperarySouth TipperaryUrban districtTraleeCounty KerryUrban districtTramoreCounty WaterfordTown commissionersTrimCounty MeathUrban districtTuamCounty GalwayTown commissionersTullamoreCounty OffalyUrban districtWestportCounty MayoUrban districtWicklowCounty WicklowUrban districtYoughalCounty CorkUrban district
Borough councils (2002–2014) Borough CountyClonmelSouth TipperaryDroghedaCounty LouthKilkennyCounty KilkennySligoCounty SligoWexfordCounty Wexford
Establishing and dissolving town councils Under Section 185 of the 2001 Act, new town councils could be established in any town with a population of at least 7,500. The application had to be made by at least 100 local government electors, or 10% of the electors of the proposed town, whichever is the greater. After a period of public consultation, the application was considered by the county council for the area in which the town is situated. The county council's recommendation was referred to the Local Government Commission. If the commission approved the establishment of a town council, an order signed by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government formally created the new council. Under Section 187 of the same act, a town council could apply to the minister to be dissolved.
No town council was abolished or dissolved in the twelve years the structure was in place.
Elected members Elections were held to town councils every five years. Towns were not subdivided for local elections, being treated as a single constituency. Councillors were elected by the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. The towns of Bray, Dundalk and Tralee had twelve elected members, all other towns had nine. A town council with nine members could apply for the number to be increased to twelve if the population was greater than 15,000 at the previous census.
Titles of chairpersons The chairperson and deputy of a town council were designated as and respectively. However, Schedule 8 of the Local Government Act 2001 allowed alternative titles for the individuals elected to chair town councils, namely:
In the Irish language ....... and ....... followed by the name of the town in Irish In the English language Mayor of the Town of ....... and Deputy Mayor of the Town of ....... followed by the name of the town in English
See also Twentieth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland
References
External links Local Government Act 2001