Ms Dee Ryan:

I echo some of the comments made. The vision from the IAG report for this role is that the mayor would have the ability to engage with everything that touches the citizens of Limerick to provide real value for those citizens. For example, it would be important that the mayor would have the power and the means to tackle the unemployment blackspots and introduce measures to effect change there. In particular, we are quite concerned in Limerick about the impact of the pandemic on youth unemployment. That is a significant challenge that we must address. I agree that we have not seen enough of that real devolution of power in the Bill. I recognise that change is difficult, but what we have in front of us does not fully grasp the nettle of the decentralisation of power. I encourage the committee to press for greater changes to deliver real value, particularly in an era in which there is a degree of lack of faith in institutions. We are at a point where we are trying to reimagine our local authority and the benefits for citizens from local government. To that end, we certainly require the means to back this. Otherwise we risk having another well-paid elected representative, which will not do anything for the model for the further roll-out of local government reform around the country. While we are discussing Limerick specifically here, everyone is conscious that it is the template for delivering greater local government reform throughout the country. It is the measure and the bar by which this will be judged for the entire country. In particular-----