Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023 is on the agenda this week. In 2019 the people of Limerick voted to have a directly elected mayor. It may not be the only one in the country, but it will certainly be the first. They were told he or she would have executive powers, notwithstanding that many of the powers of the CEO are not being transferred over. Many of the powers of the existing mayor are not being transferred over. Those powers were never debated on Committee Stage because the explanatory memorandum was not detailed enough to do it. The Minister was to come back. He has come back with 64 amendments, one of which has 64 provisions in it. Additional powers will not be transferred over. It is important that this Bill be passed. It is important that it be passed speedily, but it is equally important that if this office is to be established, funded and paid for by taxpayers, that the powers the mayor will have are properly discussed and debated by the Dáil.

I ask that the debate not be guillotined and that time be allocated to discuss the Bill, if need be, tomorrow, next week or in the first week of January. We need to make sure the office is properly created.

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