Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 19:

In page 17, to delete lines 31 to 35, and in page 18, to delete lines 1 to 19.

Amendment No. 19 essentially proposes the removal the office of príomh chomhairleoir. I alluded to this on Committee Stage and earlier tonight. For the life of me, I cannot understand, given we were promised to have a new mayor who was going to have specific powers, how we will end up in a scenario where some of the powers of the existing mayor of Limerick will be transferred to this new directly elected mayor and others will be retained by a príomh chomhairleoir or speaker. The only rationale I can see for that is a desire to have titles and jobs to give out to people. Yet, the purpose of this Bill, if and when it is enacted, is to create a directly elected mayor who has real powers. This mayor will not even have all the powers held by the existing maor of Limerick or the cathaoirleach of any county council. It sets a horrible precedent.

It also has the ability to create a certain dysfunction at the heart of local government because a speaker or príomh chomhairleoir will have some powers and a mayor will have other powers but all the real powers will reside with the director general. It is fundamentally undemocratic.

Amendment No. 78 is consequential upon amendment No. 19. It takes out the powers the current mayor enjoys that are to be reserved for the príomh chomhairleoir. If the office of príomh chomhairleoir is abolished, so too will be the reserving powers to the holder of that office.

Amendment No. 80 refers to a specific power, which is the power to nominate somebody for civic honours. I am interested in knowing specifically why the Minister of State thinks this new directly elected mayor of Limerick should not be able to nominate somebody for the freedom of Limerick, for example, which is the big honour. If Ireland wins a rugby world cup or if Limerick wins the all-Ireland, although I suspect the latter is more likely in the short term at least-----

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