S.I. No. 297/2025 - Local Government Act 2001 (Section 142) (Security Allowance for Local Authority Members) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 8th July, 2025.

I, JAMES BROWNE, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 4 and 142 (as amended by section 53 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014 (No.1 of 2014)) of the Local Government Act 2001 (No. 37 of 2001) and with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (pursuant to the Ministers and Secretaries Acts 1924 to 2020) hereby make the following regulations:

Citation and Commencement

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Local Government Act 2001 (Section 142) (Security Allowance for Local Authority Members) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.

(2) These Regulations shall come into operation on signature.

Definitions

2. In these Regulations, ‘Principal Regulations’ means the Local Government Act 2001 (Section 142) (Security Allowance for Local Authority Elected Members) Regulations 2023 ( S.I. No. 449 of 2023 ).

3. The Principal Regulations are hereby amended by:

(a) The substitution of the following Regulation for Regulation (1):

“1. Where a member incurs expenses connected with improvements to their personal security to meet a credible and serious threat to their personal physical security arising from their role as an elected member of a local authority, the member’s local authority shall pay to the member a sum not exceeding €10,000, in settlement of a claim made under the allowance in respect of security measures, following receipt of a claim for these expenses.”;

(b) the substitution of the following Regulation for Regulation 2:

“2. A member may make a number of claims for payment of a sum, the total not exceeding €10,000, under this Regulation to the local authority of which he or she is a member in such form and containing such particulars as set out in directions the Minister may give under Regulation 4.”;

(c) the insertion after Regulation 2 of the following Regulation:

“2A. Where a member has previously made a claim under this allowance, and where they have met the balance of their expenditure up to a maximum value of €7,500, the member may apply to the local authority to be reimbursed for this amount.”; and,

(d) the insertion after Regulation 2A the following Regulation:

“2B. Where an individual, who was previously an elected member of a local authority, made a claim under this allowance, and where they met the balance of their expenditure up to a maximum value of €2,500, the former member may apply to the local authority to be reimbursed for this amount.”

The Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation consents to the making of the foregoing Regulations.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

1 July, 2025.

JACK CHAMBERS,

Minister for Public Expenditure, Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

3 July, 2025.

JAMES BROWNE,

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.