Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

-----which is just another layer of bureaucracy on an existing disorganised and dysfunctional system of government in Dublin. What people want to know, in view of the diminishing resources of the city, is whether they can have their paths fixed and problems with public lighting and open spaces sorted out. The truth is that the budgets of the four local authorities will be reduced next year and in 2012 and 2013 to pay for the new vanity project that the Minister, Deputy Gormley, wants. When my constituents seek various amenities in their communities I will be telling them that money has been put towards the Minister's new mayor - that is, if the project ever sees the light of day, which I suspect it will not. I do not think we will ever have a vote on this because it will not get that far.

This is another example of an over-centralised Government - and, in particular, the Minister - running with a pet project that does not have popular support or a popular mandate. The Minister is refusing to give the people of Dublin city and county a referendum, as was the case in London, to tell us whether they want it. If the Green Party Members are so sure about whether the people of Dublin want a directly elected mayor, it should ask them. They do not have the right to foist this on them and neither do I. They should give them the right to vote.

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