One of four Fianna Fáil ministers who proposed the abolition of up to 60 local town councils, has spoken at the councillors annual general meeting in defence of the plan.
Eamon Ó Cuív who alongside Pat Carey, Batt O'Keeffe and Noel Dempsey drafted the Fianna Fáil submission on local Government reform told the Association of Municipal Authorities the decision was informed by cost savings.
Addressing the councillors annual dinner in Bundoran this evening Mr Ó Cuív said "economic circumstances" were informing the party's thinking on the future of the local government system.
The Fianna Fáil submission prepared by the four ministers described town councils as "ineffective", lacking focus and "not delivering for the citizen". It said many town councils had "neither the population nor the financing" to be effective.
But Mr Ó Cuív referred to the Report of the Efficiency Review Group which proposed cuts in financial support for local authorities and said : "While the main driver of the efficiency review process is the current economic situation and its consequent effects on public revenues, the task of optimising efficiencies and value from public expenditure must always be at the heart of public administration."
He said it was important to underline that the Report of the Efficeincy Review Group was an "independent" report.
