Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. It was very eventful here before he came in. It was a great honour for us all to be in the Chamber today. My colleagues in Fianna Fáil support the roll-out of directly elected mayors in our cities. However, I am concerned that the Government's decision to send the idea of a Dublin mayor to a citizens' assembly is a delaying tactic. Dublin should lead the way in this new form of local government. Dublin leads the way on so much. This is so disappointing. At a time when people feel alienated from decision-making it is important that new ways of empowering local communities are put in place. Directly elected mayors act as local champions who are directly accountable to citizens. We should enthusiastically embrace the idea as an internationally proven way of ensuring local decisions are taken at local level.

We published our own legislation to roll out a directly elected mayor for Dublin as an international city competing with others across the globe. Dublin should have a strong local government focused on Dublin issues. Especially in light of Brexit, Dublin faces a series of unique challenges that demand strong leadership to enable it to compete against other global cities, whether in attracting investment and businesses inward or in lobbying for national or European funding. Mayors have a vital role to play, for instance in working within the Committee of the Regions structure in Europe to secure EU grants or European Investment Bank funding. A Dublin mayor could help secure additional money for specific Dublin projects such as revitalising Dublin Bay and utilising Dublin's maritime tradition.

Experience from abroad shows that a directly elected mayor can provide that crucial leadership. All we have to do is look at the successful London bid for the 2012 Olympic Games launched by Mayor Ken Livingstone as an example of the role a mayor can play in achieving something big for his or her area. We should look at New York where Rudi Giuliani led the complete transformation of New York, combatting crime with a zero-tolerance approach. From the most dangerous city in the world it became the safest. In the darkness after the terrorist attack on 11 September he was a beacon of light and showed real civic leadership when the city was grieving.

The model of directly elected mayors has been successful across the globe in fighting for cities' interests and in acting as local champions. They provide direct accountability and their leadership on these issues is key. It does not make sense that the capital city will be left behind while other cities get a chance to decide whether they want a mayor. The argument for directly elected mayors rests upon the concept of leadership. A key individual provides an opportunity to drive forward an agenda, to fight for the advancement of local government's needs, to heighten the visibility of the local authority and the locality itself, and to broaden engagement with the public and promote greater accountability. Mayors provide clear lines of accountability and effective leadership so that it is clear to everyone where the buck stops, to use the old phrase.

The Fianna Fáil general election manifesto is committed to holding plebiscites on establishing directly elected mayors in key cities in Ireland. This Bill initiates a referendum in Dublin. This will be used as a pilot project with the possibility of the measure being rolled out in other cities over the coming years if successful. At present Dublin has four local authorities, four chief executives, four mayors, 183 councillors and countless State agencies, which often compete against each other rather than work together. A directly elected mayor would provide singular leadership in instructing them.

If Brexit negotiations have taught us anything, it is that we have a place at the biggest tables around the world. We are not an outlier. We have attributes to offer and rewards to bestow. An onward-looking approach is crucial to the future of Dublin and, if we are to compete with cities across Europe and globally, a strong champion and ambassador will be key. Dublin should have its mayor.

The specific role and powers of mayors should be fully debated and fleshed out, with public consultation building on previous work. Specific powers are crucial to creating a strong position and to attracting high-calibre civic-minded people to the post. We suggest that potential powers would include those of the chief executive of the local authority. The current county manager's role would be changed into that of a secretary general. The mayor should be head of the council cabinet, leading the agenda for the council. He or she should be chief ambassador for the locality at home and abroad. He or she should be a member of the transport authority in regional areas while sitting mayors should be head of the transport authorities in their areas. The mayor should be directly accountable to an independent planning regulator. This blend of powers and responsibilities will ensure a dynamic executive that leads from the front and is fully accountable to local people for decisions made locally.

It would rebalance power away from unelected bureaucracy and towards elected officials of the people. There is a place for this role across the country and it is time for us to consider it. It is of great importance.

As the Minister of State is aware, there are mayors in our area of Carlow-Kilkenny, where I was once a councillor. Cities such as Dublin, Limerick and Cork have such large populations that they require a full-time mayor. It boils down to ensuring that when this happens - and it must happen - proper funding is in place to ensure costs are met and there is adequate staffing.

I thank the Minister of State for his very good speech but he needs to look at the overall picture. Mayors play a major role and having a full-time mayor is of great importance. However, the bigger picture which the Minister of State must address and revert to us on is the role of councillors. Having directly elected mayors is only a start on what we need to achieve for the Irish people. This is about our communities, the people who we represent. Small changes can make a big difference to people in the community. It is a great honour to represent one's community, whether as a councillor or mayor, and to be in a position to make a difference in people's lives.

We need every local authority in the country to work together on this issue. Joined-up thinking is the only way forward because it can be very confusing and take a significant amount of time to deal with various agencies that do not know what the others are doing. One may need to phone one organisation to find out what organisation one should contact next.

Overall, the Bill proposes a very good scheme. We need directly elected mayors. We also need to look at the bigger picture and I know the Minister of State will do so. I thank him for addressing the Seanad.