Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are debating the Local Government (Mayor and Regional Authority of Dublin) Bill 2016. Yesterday we debated the Local Government (Amendment) (Directly Elected Mayor of Dublin) Bill 2016 which was proposed by my colleague, Deputy John Lahart. I understand agreement has been reached to defer the vote on Second Stage of both Bills until June next year to allow further consideration by the Government of the proposals made and measures proposed. I agree with this. The citizens of Dublin will need to know the details of how a directly elected mayor would operate before voting on the principle of having such an office.

I had the honour of being Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1989 to 1990. It was a very exciting time for Dublin. We had had the Dublin millennium celebrations in 1988 and were preparing for Dublin to become a European city of culture in 1991. We also held the Presidency of the European Council. There is no doubt that the functions of the Lord Mayor of Dublin are largely ceremonial, but I would not underestimate the huge amount of goodwill there is from the citizens of Dublin for the office of Lord Mayor. The Lord Mayor of Dublin, whoever he or she is, is highly respected, despite the political cynicism of our age in communities. This is something we should not forget and something we should harness in the interests of the Dublin region as a whole. That said, the system of local government in Dublin city, of which I was a member for many years, is not working. Dublin City Council is simply too big. It has 63 members and is very fragmented politically. It has very limited powers. It is almost impossible to get anything done or any decision of any significance made. Meanwhile, the problems in housing, transport and planning, in particula,r continue to get worse. We have outlined these problems in great detail in the debate.

I believe in balanced regional development in the interests of the country as a whole, but I also believe Dublin can be the engine of the national economy and that if it does better, the national economy will also do better, provided the necessary measures are taken to ensure the benefits of economic growth are spread throughout the country. Approximately one third of the workforce is concentrated in the Dublin region, while more than 40% of Ireland's GDP is generated in Dublin. I believe, therefore, in the principle of having a directly elected mayor, but the role and functions of such an office will have to be clearly spelled out in advance of any plebiscite taking place. Above everything else, there should be no duplication, no waste and no excessive bureaucracy created. We have experience of the establishment of Irish Water and the HSE which has left a sour taste for all of us. Citizens will need to be assured the office is necessary and that scarce resources will not be squandered. It will also have to be clearly spelled out in advance what will happen with the existing mayors and councillors throughout the region and how they would be accommodated in any new reformed structure. The message is clear: no waste, no duplication, no unnecessary bureaucracy and, above all, no exorbitant salaries. These are what the citizens will be watching for when they are asked to vote on the proposals.

We will also have to trust citizens to elect the right person, a person with the necessary skills to do the job. I trust them to do this. We live in a democracy and I believe the people are very attuned to the needs of politics. We hope, therefore, some celebrity candidate without the necessary skills will not come forward, or a household name to whom people might initially be attracted but who might not have the skills to do the job. The people of the United States have just elected Donald Trump as President-elect. He has never held political office and we will have to see how it works out. The person who ultimately becomes the directly elected mayor will have to have a vision, be creative, have a strong personality and the political skills to do the job. I trust citizens to do this. I must do so as a democrat, but it is something of which we need to be conscious.

A directly accountable Dublin mayor with executive powers could improve the quality of life of all those who live in the capital, given that many of the most pressing policy challenges in areas such as transport, housing and planning are most acute in Dublin. A directly elected mayor with the capacity to make and allocate resources would enhance our ability to respond to these challenges. Therefore, it is to be hoped a directly elected mayor would contribute to efforts to tackle key strategic challenges and the promotion of continued economic development in the capital.

A directly elected mayor with executive powers would give a greater democratic mandate to decisions which shape the future strategic development of Dublin. Having one mandate from the citizens of Dublin, a directly elected mayor would be in a position to drive the development of the city. Most importantly of all, a directly elected mayor could also help to raise the profile of Dublin at an international level, given the increasingly competitive climate for foreign direct investment. In this regard, international investors would deal with one decision-making body for the city when considering to invest rather than having to deal with a multiplicity of agencies. A directly elected mayor equipped with additional powers would allow for clear political leadership at local government level. This would provide clarity for citizens as to who exactly was responsible for many of the key decisions which shaped the development of the Dublin region and the functions of local government more generally.

I thank the Green Party for bringing forward its Bill and Deputy Lahart for bringing forward his. There is great substance and some great ideas in both and I welcome the fact that the Minister will consult with a view to bringing forward measures for further consideration next year.

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