NUTS 2 statistical regions of the Republic of Ireland

Within the European Union, regions are arranged for statistical and revenue disbursing purposes using the NUTS structure.

History

In Ireland, the regionalisation arrangements negotiated by the Government of Ireland in the context of Agenda 2000 resulted in the designation of the State into two regions for Eurostat and EU Structural Funds purposes. Following this designation, two new regions (and their associated Regional Assemblies) were established and came into effect in July 1999: Southern and Eastern NUTS-II Region and Border, Midland and Western NUTS-II Region.

The Local Government Reform Act 2014 provided for the existing 8 regional authorities and 2 regional assemblies to be replaced by 3 new regional assemblies.^[1] The new assemblies were established with effect from 1 January 2015 by the Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014.^[2]

NUTS Level 2 regions

The three NUTS 2 regions of Ireland are managed within the "Regional Assemblies in Ireland" system.

Eastern and Midland Region – comprises the county councils of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Fingal, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, South Dublin, Westmeath and Wicklow and the city council of Dublin.
Northern and Western Region – comprises the county councils of Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Galway, Mayo, Monaghan, Roscommon and Sligo and the city council of Galway.
Southern Region – comprises the county councils of Carlow, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Wexford, the city council of Cork, and the city and county councils of Limerick and Waterford.
The remaining part of the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland, is both a NUTS 1 and a NUTS 2 level area. This means that there are two NUTS 1 entities on the island.

Regional Assemblies

Function of the assemblies

to manage the Regional Operational Programmes under the National Development Plan
to monitor the general impact of all EU programmes under the National Development Plan/Community Support Framework
to promote coordination in the provision of public services in the Assembly areas

The Assemblies also host the INTERREG IIIB contact points in Ireland.

Membership of the assemblies

There are no direct elections to the Regional Assemblies. They are instead composed of elected representatives nominated by members of those NUTS III level Regional Authorities that comprise each NUTS II level region. Each Regional authority has a certain number of nominations to an Assembly, based loosely on the population of the Region. The Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly has a total of 35 members, the Northern and Western Regional Assembly has 21 members, and the Southern Regional Assembly has 27 members.

Governance of the assemblies

Each Assembly has an Operational Committee, which is composed of Chief Executive Officers of public authorities in the region and the Directors and Cathaoirligh (Chairpersons) of the Regional Authorities in the region. This committee is chaired by the Cathaoirleach of the Regional Assembly and its key tasks are to advise and assist the Assembly in the discharge of its functions. Each Assembly has a Monitoring Committee for the implementation of the Regional Operational Programme in the region whose function is to:

satisfy itself as to the effectiveness and quality of the implementation of all expenditure;
to consider the progress and impact of both co-financed and non-co-financed expenditure in the region; and
to make recommendations to the Regional Assembly, the relevant implementing government department at national level and the Department of Finance.

Each Assembly has a Director and a number of policy, programme and administrative staff.

Financing the assemblies

The Assemblies are funded by central government through the Department of Finance. The costs of the other activities of the Regional Assemblies are funded by their constituent local authorities.

References

↑ "Regional assemblies". Citizens Information Board. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
↑ http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2014/en/si/0573.html

External links

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