Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

No, with no disrespect to the Minister of State, Deputy English, I am very disappointed in the response. What I hear in that response is a kicking of the can down the road.The previous Ministers, Mr. John Gormley and Mr. Noel Dempsey, already outlined the powers. The fact we could have a directly-elected mayor for very little cost has been widely debated. However, democracy is not cheap. If Dublin is not doing well, Ireland is not doing well. Dublin is a main driver for financial investment. We saw the result of the recent referendum put to our neighbours in the UK in which they decided to exit the EU. Now more than ever, the Dublin region needs a directly-elected mayor. It has been supported in the recent research I have done. The Dublin Chamber of Commerce and IBEC also support the idea of a directly-elected mayor. I am disappointed by the response of the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and to be honest, I hear echoes of the former Minister, Mr. Phil Hogan, in it. That is not something I would normally say about the Minister, Deputy Coveney.

We need speed and action. There are many ways in which we can reduce the number of councillors in the Dublin region to make it a cost-effective measure. What we really need and what is being said by the citizens of Dublin and the Chamber of Commerce is to let Dublin vote. We have been promised this for 15 years and there has been no action. From this response, I hear that we may get a report by 2017. Let us make a clear decision, show leadership and put the question to the citizens of Dublin on whether they want a directly-elected mayor that can drive planning, change, investment and housing in our capital city.