Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister on introducing this amendment to the Electoral Acts, which I welcome. In the context of the Title of the Bill, Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014, and given the Minister's presence in the Chamber, I wish to raise the issue of the proposed plebiscite of the people of Dublin on a directly elected mayor for Dublin. It is disgraceful that a minority of elected representatives acted in an anti-democratic fashion and chose to deny all the people of Dublin, not just those whom they represented, a say in this matter. The outcome of the vote in Fingal should be ignored and a plebiscite put to all the people of Dublin on whether they wish to have a directly elected mayor for the city. To those who claim such a decision by the Minister would be anti-democratic, it is undemocratic to give elected members in Fingal a say over councils, constituencies and people they do not represent, as Fingal County Council should recognise. As councillors in Fingal have no mandate in Dublin city, why should they have a say over the people of Dublin city? The people of Fingal should have a say over Fingal County Council and on whether the Dublin region should have its own mayor. Fingal County Council should have let this pass and allowed the plebiscite to be put to the people. Now that the Minister has consulted all councillors in the region and has a clear view of what the majority of them wish - 75% are in favour - he should proceed with a ballot of the people of Dublin on whether they would like to have a directly elected mayor for the city region. This ballot should take place on 23 May, as originally proposed. The Minister has introduced many excellent reforms within a brief period, but, if implemented, this could be his most important yet.

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