Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Government’s announcement of a citizens’ assembly on a directly elected mayor for Dublin. It is an issue that has been discussed many times over the years and is something that I think there is support for. Sinn Féin has made the case for directly elected mayors previously and we will be following the discussion of the assembly closely. To be effective local government needs to be reformed to serve the people it represents properly. A directly elected mayor is a step towards that. The office will need to be properly resourced. Powers related to transport, major roads, waste management, public spaces and tourism all need to be considered by the assembly. It is an opportunity for the people of Dublin city and county to reclaim ownership of local government and have a real stake in the running of our city.

A directly elected mayor would bring accountability instead of having someone who is unelected making decisions which might not be in the interests of its people.

One concern I have is on the selection process for the 12 councillors. We need to have the voices of all parties and none included and it needs to be gender balanced and to have at least a reflection of the councillors we currently have. This is a real opportunity for Dublin and I will be interested to see the suggestions that come from the assembly. I really hope that the Government will engage constructively with whatever comes of it.

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