Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

We still do not know what this office will mean. Is the Taoiseach serious about proceeding with an election next June for something which has not yet been legislated for or discussed here? Whether it has been discussed by the Government is another day's work. As this is the last sitting day before the turn of the year, the very least we need to know is if the election is going ahead, what the mayor will do and what the powers and functions of the office will be. If there is an election next June, from a political point of view, people need to decide if they want to be candidates and political parties need to decide who they might nominate.

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