Local Government Act, 2001

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PART 7

Committees and Joint Committees

Strategic policy committees.

48.—(1) A local authority, being a county council or city council, shall establish by resolution committees to be known as strategic policy committees to consider matters connected with the formulation, development, monitoring and review of policy which relate to the functions of the local authority and to advise the authority on those matters.

(2) (a) A strategic policy committee consists partly of persons who are and partly of persons who are not members of the local authority concerned.

(b) The chairperson of a strategic policy committee shall be a member of the local authority concerned.

(3) (a) The establishment of a strategic policy committee shall be undertaken by the local authority in accordance with such guidelines as may be issued by the Minister for that purpose under section 54 (2).

(b) Guidelines referred to in paragraph (a) shall include provision for—

(i) the representation of sectoral interests,

(ii) the term of office of—

(I) members of strategic policy committees, and

(II) chairpersons, which shall not be less than 3 years,

and

(iii) the procedures to apply to ensure fairness and equity in the appointment of chairpersons.

(c) Any guidelines issued by the Minister prior to the commencement of this section and relating to strategic policy committees continue to apply until such time as guidelines are issued under section 54 (2).

(4) Subject to subsection (5), a member of a local authority who is a member of either House of the Oireachtas is disqualified from being elected or from being a chairperson of a strategic policy committee.

(5) Subsection (4) has effect for the purposes of any election of a chairperson of a strategic policy committee held after the commencement of this section.

(6) An annual report of a local authority shall include an outline of the activities of strategic policy committees during the period to which the annual report relates.