MORE INFORMATION WAS published by the government this week about the rules that will govern the election of a directly elected mayor for Limerick, but where do plans stand on the election of one for Dublin? 

On Thursday, the government published the Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023 which sets out how the office will work along with the rules for candidates running in the mayoral election campaign.

Plans for a directly elected mayor in both Limerick and Dublin have been a long time in the pipeline but while Limerick voters will go to the polls to elect theirs next summer, it’s not yet clear whether Dublin residents will be getting one at all. 

Back in 2019, on the same day as the European and local elections and the referendum on divorce, people in Cork, Limerick and Waterford were asked to consider whether they want to vote for a directly elected mayor.

Limerick, was the only one to vote in favour of the proposal which was narrowly rejected by Cork and Waterford with less than 1,000 votes the difference in each.

Since then, the establishment of the Limerick office has been beset by delays but now the Limerick election is set to take place on the same day as the local and European elections in 2024, which will be held between 6 June and 9 June next year.

That same date, voters in Dublin are also likely to be asked to vote on whether they want to see a directly elected mayor for the capital.

But what powers does a directly elected mayor actually have and how does it differ from the mayors we are used to? 

Currently, all mayor roles – including the Lord Mayor in Dublin – are ceremonial and symbolic positions only. 

A directly elected mayor by comparison would have much stronger powers.

The Citizens’ Assembly which was set up to examine the issue, voted overwhelmingly last year that Dublin should have a directly-elected mayor with executive powers who could introduce new regulations if necessary and raise taxes.

In it’s report back to the government earlier this year it recommended that 15 specific areas should be devolved immediately to the new office.

These included housing, homelessness, community healthcare, transport, the environment and emergency services.

It also recommended that six other areas including policing, water, and education were be devolved after five to 10 years.

In addition to this, the Citizens’ Assembly recommended that the existing four local authorites should be retained but that a new Dublin City and County Assembly should be established.

It recommended that the role of the Assembly should be to make policy proposals to the mayor, to approve the budget of the mayor and to scrutinize the activities and performance of the mayor.

We learned this week that the Limerick Mayor, once elected, will receive a salary of almost €152,000 per year and will have a staff of up to five people. 

Under the plans for the office they must not have another job that would interfere with their role.

It is unclear yet whether a Dublin Mayor would closely follow the template laid out for the Limerick Mayor or even the recommendations made by the Citizens’ Assembly. 

In June of this year, the Cabinet agreed to refer the report of the Citizens’ Assembly to the Oireachtas to consider its recommendations and it is likely that Dublin voters will be asked to decide next summer whether they want a directly elected mayor.

However, some of those in favour of a directly elected mayor for the capital say this is an unnecessary step that will only further delay what people already want. 

Back in 2014, three out of Dublin’s four councils voted in favour of establishing the office, with Fingal County Council rejecting it. 

Speaking to The Journal, former Lord Mayor of Dublin and Green Party DCC councillor, Hazel Chu said this and the Citizens’ Assembly report is enough of a mandate to bypass next year’s plebescite on the matter. 

In Chu’s opinion, Dubliners should instead be going to the polls next year to choose who the mayor would be.

She argues that if this isn’t the case that it will likely be 2029 at the earliest before a Dublin Mayor is elected.

This is because if the plebescite is passed, the election of the mayor would likely take place at the same time as the next local and European elections. 

“Meanwhile, you have various issues in the city, coming from safety, coming from lack of cohesion from the various bodies, and people always wonder ‘Well, why is more not being done?’ and it’s because there just isn’t the power to do it,” Chu said.

“There is the power from the Chief Executive. That’s how the current system works, the Chief Executive is the one who controls the Local Authority and resources the Local Authority.

“What local government power we have has kind of been eroded over the last couple of decades. And it’s at a point where councillors really don’t have that much power,” Chu added.

On top of this, Chu said so much of what Dublin City Council does now is siloed. 

Introducing a directly elected mayor would centralise things, she said.

With a directly elected mayor “you don’t have to go through so much red tape”, Chu said.

“Now we’re not talking about like a random dictator for the city either,” Chu added.