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Mayoral Election

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 January 2018

Wednesday, 31 January 2018

Questions (71)

Barry Cowen

Question:

71. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans for a plebiscite on directly elected mayors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4549/18]

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Written answers

The Programme for Partnership Government includes a commitment to consider directly elected mayors in cities as part of a broader range of local government reform measures aimed at strengthening local democracy. In response to this commitment, a policy discussion report on metropolitan governance for Ireland's cities is at an advanced stage of preparation. At this point in time, I expect that this report will be submitted to Government in the coming weeks, after which it will be sent to the Oireachtas for consideration.

At its meeting of 26 September 2017, the Government agreed, as part of an indicative schedule for a number of referendums over the next 18 months, that a plebiscite on directly elected mayors would take place in October 2018. My Department is prioritising the drafting of the legislation required to give effect to this decision and it is included in the Government's legislation programme as a Bill to be published in the first half of this year.

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