Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 29:

In page 23, to delete lines 5 and 6 and substitute the following: “(b) a representative group of members of Limerick City and County Council appointed by the D’Hondt system, and”.

This amendment deals with the composition of the Limerick mayoral advisory and implementation committee as contained in section 32 of the Bill. The function of the committee is to operate as a quasi-cabinet overseeing matters of importance to Limerick. We in the Labour Party are proposing the adoption of the D'Hondt system for populating that committee rather than by mere appointment. Everyone in this House appreciates the collaborative nature of local government. Often we see coalitions and partnerships form which would be entirely untenable in these Houses heretofore. With this legislation we see the stratification of the mayor's office, the executive and the elected council itself and for the proposals to work, there must be cohesion and buy in. Ensuring that this new committee is representative of the council would assist in delivering that cohesion and help to make this long-awaited proposal work properly.

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