Local Government

The A – Z of Irish Local Government is designed to give an overview of each of the key services, and the principal pieces of legislation underpinning the services currently being provided by Local Authorities in Ireland. The A - Z of Irish Local Government is ideal for anyone (either from a Local Authority or from an organisation associated with the Local Government sector) who wants to develop a more wide-ranging knowledge of the sector.

Managing Information Systems: Providing Practical Solutions to Housing Practitioners is a one-day course that is aimed at staff working in Housing Sections of Local Authorities.  It will be of particular interest to staff who manage projects and also to those working on the coalface who work with large volumes of data and need a structured approach to managing this data.  

This programme is aimed at developing within individuals the capacity to understand and change organisational systems and to understand and change oneself.

A key objective is to build capacity in individuals to operate outside of their functional responsibilities and to broaden their understanding of organisational and system issues, enhancing their ability to operate at a strategic level. The programme therefore challenges individuals to move beyond their current functional roles and behaviour; to open up to approaches when working with others to achieve goals and to generate more efficient and innovative outcomes.

This one-day course is designed to provide participants with a basic understanding of how an Irish Local Authority sources their income to fund day to day expenditure and capital expenditure. The course will also provide participants with an appreciation of how the budget process works in a Local Authority and an understanding of the Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet of a Local Authority. Finally, the course will examine the role of internal and external audit in a local government context.

The 10 day modular Legislative Training Programme addresses legislation pertaining to the areas of Housing, Planning, Environment, Water and Roads & Transportation Services in Irish Local Authorities. There are two days allocated to each of the five Service areas.

This Debt Management Programme is for staff working in Debt Management Units within the Local Government Sector.

Debt Management Units have been established in Irish Local Authorities to deal with many areas of debt management including debts associated with commercial rates, housing rents and housing loans. The focus of this programme centres around the management of debts associated with commercial rates.

The 2017 Housing Practitioners' Conference, organised in association with the Housing Agency, was held on 25 and 26 May at the Clayton Hotel, Lapps Quay in Cork.  The theme of the conference was Delivery Now, Managing Sustainability.

Current housing policy and practice present local authorities with challenges of an unprecedented nature - particularly for local authorities in implementing the Action Plan: For Housing and Homelessness.  The purpose of the Housing Policy Seminar Series is to raise awareness amongst key local authority housing staff who are involved in addressing the new housing challenges. There are four seminars in the series. 

Anti-social behaviour has become an all too real issue in recent years with many local authorities and their staff having to learn how to deal effectively with difficult problems arising within their housing stock; this in addition to their daily duties.

Anti-social problems can range from neighbour disputes to drug dealing - highlight the myriad of issues presenting themselves at the local authorities throughout the country.  It is imperative that they are dealt with effectively to prevent difficulties escalating.

Planning and Part V for Housing Practitioners is a two-day training programme for staff of local authorities who are involved in the provision of housing services and planning services.  The course is designed to provide a grounding in the planning system relating to the provision of housing.  It will enable staff to contribute to planning for housing needs in their administrative area.