Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for taking this issue. The local elections are over and the political landscape has changed. However, the need for a directly elected mayor for Dublin city has not gone away. I know the Minister is strongly committed to this idea. The people of Dublin should be allowed have their say in a plebiscite next year at the same time as the marriage equality referendum. The four local authorities in Dublin cover a population of nearly 1,300,000 people. Dublin is not competing with Cork, Limerick or Galway. It is competing against cities of the world such as London, Singapore, Cape Town and Geneva. Dublin needs a strong, single voice with a mandate. That is why I believe this city needs a directly elected mayor.

We recently completed a process for considering a directly elected mayor as laid out in the Local Government Reform Act 2014. Many said it was doomed to failure from the beginning but the forum of 22 elected councillors tabled a proposal that was overwhelmingly endorsed by councillors of three of four Dublin councils. There were legitimate reasons for Fingal councillors to vote against the proposal for a plebiscite but I do not believe it should be dropped completely. I would have concerns also about splitting the functions of the IDA and Enterprise Ireland under a Dublin mayor but a mayor must have an economic role.

I ask the Minister to call on the mayors and chairs of each of the councils to restart the process. I ask him to meet with them in the next few weeks to see how that process could be started. My reading of the legislation is that it would have to be amended to allow a further vote at council level. I ask the Minister to consider bringing these minor amendments to the House quickly. Failing that, the Government should convene a convention for Dublin modelled on the Constitutional Convention. We need more public debate on what a mayor should do, the powers he or she should have and the elements of transport, housing and environment issues that are so important to this city. We need to bring ordinary citizens together with their councillors, business and community organisations to build support and tease out the problems in a democratic way. All stakeholders should have a say in crafting a proposal to put Dublin, and the people of Dublin, first. Such a convention could address the problems in the original proposal and allow Dubliners to have their say. People want a vote. They were prevented from getting one this year due to a small minority of councillors, but we have the time and space now to rethink and reinvigorate the proposal that can shape the future of our capital city.

I ask the Minister to act in the coming weeks by bringing together the new chairs and mayors of this city who can bring forward a proposal that would allow us directly elect a mayor of our capital city. That would be a progressive move. I believe the Minister is committed to it, and it would be a fine legacy if a plebiscite could take place next year.

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