Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Amendments Nos. 18 and 19 are closely linked and propose changes to sections 22 and 24. Respectively, these sections deal with the election of members of Limerick City and County Council to hold two offices that will be created following the Bill's enactment – the príomh chomhairleoir and leas-phríomh chomhairleoir, the speaker and the deputy speaker of the house. These roles will replace the current ceann comhairle and leas-cheann comhairle.

The amendments propose that the príomh chomhairleoir and leas-phríomh chomhairleoir to be selected at a special meeting of Limerick City and County Council that must be held within three months of the mayor's vesting day. It may be the Deputy is concerned these important positions be filled as quickly as possible but the current provisions in the Bill ensure that this will happen well ahead of the three-month period proposed. We looked at it in-depth.

The Bill does so by requiring that the new príomh chomhairleoir and new leas-phríomh chomhairleoir be elected at the council's next annual meeting. Paragraph 3(1) of Schedule 10 of the principal Act provides that in an election year, a local authority's annual meeting shall be held on the 14th day after the polling day or, where a poll is for any reason countermanded, interrupted or adjourned, on the 14th day after the poll is completed or a fresh poll is held.

In addition, the Bill currently provides for the ceann comhairle and leas-cheann comhairle who are in office at the time of the mayor's election to seamlessly take up the roles of príomh chomhairleoir and leas-phríomh chomhairleoir for this 14-day period, doing away with any risk of a transitional vacancy when the first election takes place regarding Limerick City and County Council's new structures.

Under the proposed amendments, a period of up to three months could pass before the new príomh chomhairleoir and leas-phríomh chomhairleoir take up their roles, representing a much later period than that proposed by the Bill. I am not sure that I understand the Deputy's intent. We believe it is already in legislation. It will have to happen within 14 days of polling day. On that basis, we believe it is in the legislation, in fact, much earlier than three months. On that basis, we cannot accept the amendments.