Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party)
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I thank the Minister of State for presenting to us the general scheme of the Bill, the purpose of which is to devolve power to the people, and for the work that has been done on it to date.

Devolved power is a policy for which I and the Green Party have continually campaigned. We believe it brings governance closer to the people. As previous speakers indicated, it was a pity that there will not be directly elected mayors in Waterford, Dublin or Cork at this time. However, the Limerick mayor will pave the way and show that this type of politics is good for communities. This is a process whereby the power is being moved away from central government and will be shared between the chief executive and his or her directors. From my experience as a councillor, I have seen how hard it is to propose and deliver a mayor's objectives in one year. Having a five-year term and the necessary staff will allow the mayor, whoever it may be, to manage and develop his or her objectives with time and resources. I fully welcome what is proposed in the general scheme.

I have one minor question. What is the main difference between the director general and the chief executive?