New rules will be introduced to ensure that TDs are shown greater respect by local authorities unless co-operation is volunteered, Minister for the Environment Dick Roche has promised.
TDs from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour met with Mr Roche to voice mounting complaints from TDs and senators that councils are increasingly failing to respond to them.
Following the abolition of the dual mandate in 2003, Oireachtas members were guaranteed that they would not lose out on vital local information even though they no longer sat on local councils.
According to the regulations,councils were supposed to circulate all necessary papers to them and respond to their constituency representations as quickly as they would to those from a councillor.
However, many, but not all, Oireachtas members argue that city and county managers no longer respond to them, access to files has been curbed, while constituency representations are being ignored.
TDs from Kildare are no longer able to enter most parts of the local authority's new €18 million offices because they have been refused swipe cards given to staff and councillors.
TDs also complain that their access to planning files has been curbed - confined to the public counter during normal opening hours - even though they have a legal right to see them and even though they may need to look at dozens of files.
Fine Gael Mayo TD Michael Ring, who led yesterday's delegation to the Minister, said he had warned from the beginning that council officials would try to "freeze" TDs out of local government once the dual mandate ended.
Labour TD Emmet Stagg said city and county managers have "run riot" since TDs and senators were removed from councils as they had been able to keep officials on a tighter rein.
"There is a campaign by the County Managers' Association to minimise the influence of Oireachtas members at local level. That association was set up to look after their interests.
"I would go so far as to demand that the association be abolished because it is a subversive, anti-democratic organisation. TDs had the resources to keep checks and balances operating on councils."
Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness said the delegation had enjoyed "a very good meeting" with the Minister, although he warned that TDs' anger could spill over in September unless the problem was resolved.
The public had received "poor value" from the ending of the dual mandate. "There are going to be very serious problems if this is not sorted out," said the Carlow-Kilkenny TD.
He said he would insist on his right to attend meetings of Kilkenny County Council.
County managers currently insist that TDs sit in the public gallery when they attend.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Roche acknowledged that TDs had justifiable grounds for complaints. "But there is no reason why this should not be resolved with mutual respect."
Mr Roche was one of those within Fianna Fáil to oppose the introduction of the dual mandate ban in 2003 by his predecessor in Environment, Martin Cullen.
Under regulations introduced by Mr Cullen, TDs and senators were promised that councils would give them copies of all paperwork circulated to councillors, and reply to them quickly.
Mr Roche said he would examine the standards employed by different councils to ensure that the best systems were copied by all of the others.
He said this could be done by regulation without needing further legislation.
