Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister of State is aware, Sinn Féin will be supporting the upcoming plebiscites on directly elected mayors. Generally, we believe more needs to be done to secure support. I remain deeply concerned that, this close to the proposed plebiscite, we are still unaware of what powers and functions the newly elected mayors will have and how the office will work. With European and local elections at the same time, people will get confused. We need to have the discussion as quickly as possible. We need to tell people what the Minister of State is proposing. We need him to tell us first of all, obviously. If he wants us to sell the concept at the doors, he needs to start informing us now. Voters are already looking at local election manifestoes in which there will be information on mayors or upcoming referendums. Time is passing quickly. I am genuinely concerned the proposal will not pass because people will not have enough information on it. If it is passed, directly electing a local mayor will hand power back to the citizens of Limerick and other cities. That can only be positive.

The Local Government Bill 2018 provides for the holding of plebiscites on directly elected mayors with executive functions for Cork City Council, Limerick City and County Council and Waterford City and County Council. The mayors will provide for a new type of leadership in our main cities. The system will allow candidates from each party and none to set out their vision and ambitions for their cities. This is vital in my city, Limerick, where a mayor could set out his ambitions and plans for regeneration areas, for attracting more business to the region, and for boosting tourism in the city. There could probably be a targeted response to try to address the great number of unemployment blackspots across the city.

Having directly elected mayors will be of little benefit or value to us if they do not have real power, however. Key functions related to transport, infrastructure, economic development, waste management and tourism should be vested in the mayor's office. These powers must be devolved from central government and also the relevant State agencies. It is important that staff and funding follow to allow the plans to be implemented. There is no point in electing a mayor who has no power, nothing to add, and is just in office as a figurehead.

It is vital, however, that there be no reduction in the powers, functions and budgets of the existing local authorities. The merger of the Limerick councils would not have been achieved without strategic intervention from the Government to allow it. It was not the case that the two councils were able to merge on their own. Therefore, we need to be cognisant that we will need to provide additional funding to councils if they want to do this.

In Ireland, we already have a weak local government system by comparison with the systems of many of our European counterparts. It is important, therefore, that if we further strengthen our local government structures, we devolve responsibility for issues that can be dealt with at local level to those on the ground.

I am concerned about the upcoming plebiscite as there has been completely insufficient engagement with voters about it. There is a high degree of uncertainty about the exact shape a directly elected mayor's office would take. Individuals have spoken to me about this. They hear there will be a directly elected mayor and plebiscite but they do not know anything about them. I cannot answer the questions because the Minister of State has not given us information on what the Government intends to do. We need to provide the information as quickly as possible. May is fast approaching and it will come sooner than we expect.

People in Limerick to whom I have spoken are completely unaware of the proposal. My concern is that the proposal will not pass. It is in danger of defeat. If the Government goes ahead with the plebiscite, which I want it to do provided it gives us the information, and if the relevant powers are in place, having directly elected mayors could have a very positive effect on Limerick, Waterford and Cork. The Minister of State will have our support if he comes forward with some proposals that enhance the functions of directly elected mayors and if he devolves more powers to them while retaining the functions of local councillors and providing the additional resources and staff that are required.

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