Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

This is a very historic occasion. I commend the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, for his stewardship of the legislation in his tenure in this Department and also commend his predecessors, the Ministers of State, Deputy Peter Burke and, before him, Deputy John Paul Phelan, who I think was the real instigator of this legislation. This truly is a historic day in that Limerick alone decided we would have a directly elected mayor, and we are the first in Ireland to do it. It is not the first time that Limerick has been the first to do something and it is a credit to the people of Limerick. I want to credit Deputy Quinlivan for the efforts he made in pressing and performing his function as an Opposition Deputy for Limerick. The Government and the Opposition have worked together very well. We have landed on something that is the right balance between the devolution of powers and giving that franchise to the people of Limerick, and I expect that we will have an election in June. Others are also to be commended. There are external stakeholders who really pressed and helped to shape this legislation and, indeed, they campaigned back in 2019. Senator Maria Byrne deserves credit for leading that effort in 2019, which I acknowledge.

As people know, I am a candidate. I do not want to use this platform to advocate for myself but I want to acknowledge that other candidates have entered the race as of yesterday, so it is “game on”. I think we have good candidates and more will enter the race. Those who have announced are very credible candidates.

It is a measure of the legislation that it is a meaningful office that is being created here today. I look forward to a healthy and productive debate in the months ahead. In June, Limerick will have a directly elected mayor for the first time. That person will be the first directly elected mayor in Ireland's history.

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