Your local authority

Your local authority, also referred to as the county council or city council, provides local services, exercises local level powers, and provides a forum for the democratic representation of local communities.

The 31 local authorities in Ireland are made up of:

• 26 county councils
• Three city councils (Dublin, Galway and Cork)
• Two councils that oversee a city and a county (Limerick and Waterford)

Each local authority is responsible for a specific geographic area. The 31 local authorities provide thousands of services to their local area, support local communities and businesses through funding initiatives and amenities, and develop economic and social development plans for the area to plan for sustainable development now and into the future.

Services provided by local authorities include:

• Housing
• Waste management
• Road maintenance and transport
• Emergency services including the fire service
• Environmental and biodiversity protection
• Heritage and conservation
• Business supports
• Leisure and recreation amenities
• Arts and culture programmes
• Community development
• Public libraries
• Planning  
• Tourism
• Animal control
• Register of electors

Find out more about the services local authorities provide in our services section.

Local authorities also set byelaws for their areas. Byelaws are laws set by the local authority that apply to the local authority area. Local authority byelaws regulate areas such as: 

• Casual trading
• Parking  
• Local speed limits
• Control of animals
• Litter and waste

Two months before passing a bye-law, the local authority must publish a notice in the local paper with details of the proposed bye-law. The public will then have the opportunity to make submissions on the proposed bye-law before it comes into effect.

Responsibilities of your local authority

Responsibilities in councils are divided into two areas:

• Executive functions, which are the responsibility of the chief executive and employees
• Reserved functions, which are the responsibility of the elected council

The local authority executive 

The day-to-day management of a local authority is carried out by the executive staff, led by a Chief Executive. Many of the decisions about the work of the local authority are made by the Chief Executive, except for those that are reserved for elected councillors.

Some of the chief executive’s responsibilities include delivering on strategic objectives as set out in the corporate plan, administering schemes, and allocating grants. Policy areas under the responsibility of the chief executive include transport, social housing, economic development, and local authority governance.

The chief executive along with the directors of services and other members of the local authority management team advise and assist the elected council while carrying out ‘executive functions’.

See our website's section about the elected council to find out their responsibilities, how they are elected, and how they function.

Relevant legislation

The role of local government in Ireland is underpinned by Article 28A of the Irish Constitution. The Constitution recognises that local government provides a democratic forum and works to promote interests of local communities. The Constitution also guarantees that local elections are held every five years.

The main piece of legislation that supports how local government operates in Ireland is the Local Government Act 2001 (amended by the Local Government Reform Act 2014). This legislation sets out the powers, functions and duties of local government.