Reluctant enablers: Competition in local government in Ireland and the UK

During the last 15 years, local authorities in many OECD countries have been introducing competition for the provision of services, placing less emphasis on the direct provision of services and more on the strategic planning of service provision. Often this has involved encouraging both private firms and voluntary organizations to become providers of local government services. Analyses the emergence of enabling in two European countries, Ireland and the UK, and argues that local authorities in both countries are reluctant enablers. With reference to the UK, examines the implications of the CCT legislation, the key factor in the development of enabling and compares this to the emergence in Ireland of a trend towards contracting out.