Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The chief executive of the local authority would have responsibility for the policy voted on by the elected councillors. The elected mayor would be responsible for delivering on the programme. That is how we should keep democratic control. The elected mayor would have to get his or her policy programme through the council chamber with support. This could see a driven policy.

On the corporate policy group, the Minister of State wants to see it share the various strategic planning committees. That is an interesting proposal. If it is to act as a mayor’s cabinet, there has to be some relationship with the council in how the mayor appoints it. The cabinet could come from and be approved by the council chamber. Essentially, the mayor would select his or her cabinet from the elected councillors who would be approved by the council. That would keep a strong connection between the mayor and the elected councillors. There is a need to keep that bond. We need to examine and debate this issue in more detail with councillors as there may be problems and hiccups when one moves further into the detail.

On the holding of a plebiscite, the information will come from the Department to the local authorities which will, in turn, give it to the electorate. However, the local authorities have a skin in the game. Should we have a body similar to the Referendum Commission to give independent expert advice to the electorate? All local authority chief executive officers will also have a skin in the game and a particular viewpoint. It would be difficult for them to keep their independence. I would like to see some element of an independent commission in place.

I appeal to the Minister of State to fast-track the arrangements for Dublin. It faces many challenges which need to be dealt with on a citywide basis. We are in discussions on MetroLink and BusConnects. These projects will affect people from Blanchardstown to Swords and from Swords to Tallaght. With those which involve investment and development, they need a citywide debate which should be led by a directly elected mayor. We are talking about moving power back closer to the electorate. The development plan is an important element of local government which is in its ownership. However, with the changes to the height strategy for apartments, it has been taken away from local government. I am in favour of a height and density strategy, but it has to be done correctly, with a buy-in by citizens and councillors.

Taking away the power from councillors is a very negative step, but I can understand it in many ways. However, if we look at the height and density strategy for the Poolbeg West development in south east Dublin, it was brought forward by local councillors and the local community and passed by the city council. It is high density and also has great height, at 12 to 16 storeys. It was brought through the democratic process much quicker. On more than 100 units breaching the development plan, again, the policy and power were taken from the council.

To those of them who are listening - I am sure this speech will be spread around - it must be said councillors also have a responsibility to exercise their reserved functions. I remember having an interesting discussion with the city manager when I became leader of the Labour Party group in the civic alliance. We announced to the manager that we were going to produce the budget, which is a reserved function. In the first year he was not very progressive, but in the second year he was much more progressive in actually engaging and assisting in producing the budget. It is a reserved function, as in the case of the development plan. Sometimes it can be very unpopular to take responsibility and exercise reserved functions. The sale of land is a reserved function. Too often - I say this with a lot of experience of local government - giving a small sum of money to a councillor to stay quiet sometimes deflects from the bigger picture. The discretionary funding of €4,000 or €5,000 individual councillors receive does not always serve the greater public as well as lumping funding together. From the late spring many local authorities will start to develop their budgetary processes. I urge councillors in those local authorities, especially in those councils that will be newly elected, to look at their reserved functions and actually exercise them. There is an amount of powers that can be brought closer to the electorate. Councillors should make the decisions on where money should be spent because it is a reserved function.

As I said at the beginning, I envy the Minister of State. This could be a turning point in local government. Above all, I ask him to not let anyone deflect him and ensure this legislation goes through in a timely manner. I will support the suggestions that I think are worthy and push my party to support them.