Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to leave amendments Nos. 14 and 15 aside for now because I hear what the Minister of State is saying about the reserved functions and ensuring the powers are there. Amendment No. 16 would just be adding that requirement for accountability; it does not change anything else. It does not limit the powers of the mayor in attending meetings, functioning as a normal councillor, putting forward motions, voting and so forth, but it puts in that requirement that they be accountable because at the moment we do not have a structure whereby councillors can say they require the mayor to come in, rather than the mayor choosing to come in or being there with the budget. It is a question of the councillors having a mechanism that allows them to require the mayor to attend. As was clarified there, the mayor is not necessarily going to be there in a chairing function because it is the príomh-chomhairleoir who will be doing that. It is effectively at the discretion of the mayor whether they choose to attend, at the moment. That is why amendment No. 16 is important and adds something a little different. I am going to withdraw amendments Nos. 14 and 15, but I might have to press amendment No. 16. It is an important issue and something that might matter to councillors down the line if we get a mayor who declines to make themselves accountable, which I hope does not prove to be the case.