Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 579: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has plans to grant town status to Glanmire and to allow it to form a district council. [25181/04]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Local Government Act 2001 modernises the legislative framework, supports community involvement with local authorities in a more participative local democracy and underpins generally the programme of local government renewal. The Act takes account of the recommendations of the 1996 report, Re-organisation Commission Towards Cohesive Local Government — Town and County, regarding improved accessibility, interaction and linkages for non local authority towns within county council areas.

This concluded, inter alia, that the widespread creation of new town authorities was neither warranted nor feasible and recommended that only towns with a population of 7,500 or over be eligible for consideration. Accordingly, section 185 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides, inter alia, that qualified electors of a town having a population of at least 7,500 as ascertained at the last preceding census and not having a town council may make a proposal for the establishment of such a council. I understand that Glanmire would not fall within the required population threshold.