Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the passing of the Bill in this House. It will be looked back at in time as a measure that was in itself a small step but which included foundation-shaking implications for the rest of the country. What happens in Limerick will provide a template for all the other cities around the country. More fundamentally, it is about reforming local democracy. As Senator Fitzpatrick said, the Bill will enable us to see somebody with a strong political mandate delivering for city and urban regions. We have forgotten about the importance of the different systems and layers of democracy as we move from being a primarily rural to a primarily urban country.

Nobody thinks the model for Limerick is perfect but it provides a strong foundation and template for our urban democracies to evolve over the next 50 to 100 years. When people look back, the signing of this Bill will prove to be very significant in the overall political development of our country. Well done to the Minister of State and to Members on both sides of the House for getting the Bill over the line. Let us see how the process works in Limerick. I wish the best of luck to all the candidates in what we hope will be an exciting contest in June.