Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The mayor will propose the budget. Again, the question is the levels of control over funding. It is all very well being able to propose a budget but what about when one has very limited control? I accept that this feeds into the bigger debate that Senator Boyhan has raised around local taxation and revenue raising, services, etc. We need to examine some of the powers and specifically what powers we can give. I am just thinking about the citizens whom the Minister of State will know too well in Limerick city and county who, when they look at the mayor, will wonder will he or she will have an impact when it comes to health, education, transport, urban planning, heritage and the environment. There are areas that mayors have responsibility for in similar sized locations, and even in bigger and smaller locations around the world.

The creation of a mayor of Limerick is a radical innovation for local government but we need to be more ambitious. It is important that whomever is the first officeholder, he or she,will set some of the agenda in that regard but we cannot tie his or her hands.

The creation of the office can also contribute to more balanced regional development. There is real potential with this office but we must give it a real chance. The person appointed mayor needs to be full time, properly resourced and we need to ensure that their powers are spelled out.

When the Minister of State comes back to this House, and it is like if one were advertising a job description, he should spell out very clearly the powers and controls of the new mayor for Limerick City and County Council. Everyone expects in their job that they will have to consult, engage and do reports but the real issue here is around mayoral powers so that anyone who is considering applying for the job or, more importantly, when citizens contact the mayor's office, they know what he or she can do.