Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 January 2019
1122. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the decision to exclude the four Dublin local authorities from the process of plebiscites on direct elections on mayors in the Local Government Bill 2018 will be reconsidered in view of the necessity for directly elected leadership of the Dublin region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54058/18]
View answer1123. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if legislation will be brought forward to create an elected mayor and assembly for the Dublin region in line with the municipal and regional government systems in major urban areas in the UK, EU and USA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54059/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1122 and 1123 together.
The Local Government Bill 2018 provides inter alia for the holding of plebiscites on directly elected mayors with executive functions for Cork City Council, Limerick City and County Council and Waterford City and County Council. These plebiscites are expected to be held at the same time as the local government elections in May 2019. While the Bill has been passed in the Dáil and Seanad Éireann, it will return shortly to the Dáil to deal with Seanad amendments.
In view of the complexities of local government in County Dublin and the Dublin Metropolitan Area, which is defined in the National Planning Framework, it was deemed appropriate by the Government to allow space for detailed and informed public discourse on the matter of directly elected mayors for Dublin.
For that reason, the Government decided at its meeting of 27 September, 2018 that the issue of directly elected mayors for Dublin would be referred to a Dublin Citizens' Assembly to be convened in 2019. This would be an appropriate forum to consider the matter in the context of practices in the governance of other major cities internationally.
