Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have been on the ground with the Minister of State in Limerick. I know his commitment to the city. I also know he is anxious to get this through and see a directly elected mayor.I want to put that on record. The Minister of State is a true-blue Limerick man. I will give him that. The issue I am talking about has not arisen. I am not trying to be negative. It is our job in this House to tease things out and see where they go.

The Minister of State mentioned the relationship between a Minister and a Secretary General. I am mindful of the time we moved to transition year in education. The then Minister stood up at a teachers' conference and said that children could do with transition year. When the Minister said it was true, it was true. The Secretary General did not expect it and neither did anyone in his Department. Once a Minister says something is going to happen, that is it.

Is the Minister of State telling me that if the mayor of Limerick says that they will do A, B or C, that will be it? Is he saying that the de facto position will be that the director general will have to find the funding to make sure what the mayor says happens? In other words, the executive authority will rest with the mayor and the accounting officer will simply have to find a way to meet the needs as laid down by the mayor.

I do not mean to put the Minister of State on the spot, particularly as I have seen him in operation and I know that he is committed to his city.