The Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) is a national representative body that represents and supports the role of elected councillors.
The elected council is, in law, the policy-making arm of the local authority with Councillors having the role of creating the overall policy framework within which the council’s executive and staff work.
Aligned with this, a significant role of Councillors is to represent the views of their communities. They identify and track local problems and issues and bring this knowledge back into the council chamber to ensure better outcomes for the well-being and quality of life for the people and communities that they represent.
Roles and responsibilities
The Councillor’s role and responsibilities include:
- representing the electoral area for which they are elected (municipal district) and the local authority as a whole
- decision-making
- developing and reviewing council policy
- regulatory and statutory duties
They also have a key role in community and engagement.