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

Amendment No. 21 relates to section 30, which provides for the establishment of a Limerick mayoral and government consultative forum, facilitating engagement between the mayor and national government. I thank Deputy Quinlivan for his support for this important new structure. It is novel. This forum is new. I am convinced it will be key in supporting the office of mayor and helping to demonstrate the clear benefit to the people of Limerick of having a directly elected mayor. It is just one of the components.

This amendment seeks to increase the frequency and number of meetings of the Limerick mayoral and government consultative forum, providing that they must be held three times a year, up from twice a year. I see no benefit to placing a statutory obligation on this forum to meet more frequently than already provided for. In any event, section 30(8) provides that, in addition to the two meetings which must be held annually, as many further meetings as are necessary shall also be held.

I believe that the two provisions of this section combine to give a good balance. On the one hand, ensuring the group has a requirement for regular meetings brings focus and consistency to its work and, on the other hand, providing that other meetings may be added as required brings the flexibility the group will need to its work. When this provision was originally drafted, it required a meeting with the Minister once a year. I changed that to twice a year and did not prescribe that meetings should happen every six months because it would be too severe. The requirement is for a meeting to occur at intervals of between five and seven months. Further meetings can be held at the behest of either party and not only at the behest of the Minister. They can be held at the behest of the mayor or the Minister. We want to ensure flexibility. When we set down and define the requirements for meetings, I worry that they become ticking-box exercises. Two meetings are automatically required each year and thereafter there can be as many meetings as either party wishes to take place.

There is a secretariat being assigned to that implementation group from the Department, which we believe is hugely important. Tim O’Connor, who was chair of the implementation group, felt that was necessary and we have included it. It is to give flexibility. On that basis, we believe the section as currently drafted strikes the right balance and we will not accept the amendment.