NILGA

NILGA is the Northern Ireland Local Government Association
providing the representative voice of the Local Government
sector. Supported by all five main political parties, NILGA
and the 26 Councils throughout the whole region work
together on a wide range of issues and programmes.
Councils in Northern
Ireland play a
valuable role in
representing the
views of local people.
NILGA AGM September 2007
Groups consisting of elected
members, local government staff
and other partners come together
to ensure that the sector is up
to date with developments in
Government, Environmental,
European and Arts issues.
Councils in Northern Ireland play
a valuable role in representing
the views of local people and
supporting the development of local
business and community life. While
they do not carry out the extensive
functions of councils elsewhere in
Ireland and the United Kingdom
they are an important part of the
political process and a useful first
port of call for entrepreneurs or
companies seeking to develop their
businesses in Northern Ireland.
For new investors in the region,
councils can help companies to
make good local contacts.
In addition to providing various
community services, councils in
Northern Ireland have increasingly
helped to promote tourism,
economic development, culture and
the arts. And the sector is due to
experience significant reform over
the next few years as part of the
Review of Public Administration
(RPA). Initiated by the Northern
Ireland Executive the RPA is
overseeing a dramatic change in
the health, education and local
government landscape. A smaller
number of councils are likely to be
formed and some powers are due
to be transferred from central to
local government which will enable
the local council to undertake a
Ôplace shapingÕ role and serve the
needs of local communities and
businesses more effectively.
As part of this, a new and very
important power that councils
will undertake is in Ôcommunity
planningÕ. Councils will have the
responsibility to bring together all
the public services for a given area
to concentrate on the specific local
needs of a locality. In Northern
Ireland there is often a concern that
services designed and operated on
a regional basis are not responsive
enough to local concerns and
needs. The Community Planning
process means that all the public
service organisations must
contribute to service planning
and delivery.
The Council is the organisation
best placed to bring together health
and education service providers,
infrastructure providing organisations
in transport and energy and the
business and community sectors to
help an area prosper and develop.
NILGAÕs role is to support councils
and the local government sector
through this work.
Web. www.nilga.org
Tel. (0)2890 249 286