Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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35. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the time frame for a plebiscite on a directly elected Dublin Mayor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20446/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The specific question of introducing an office of directly elected mayor for the Dublin Metropolitan Area is considered in the Government’s Action Programme for Effective Local Government in the context of other governance issues. A key conclusion in that regard is that such an office should not be simply inserted as a further layer of governance and administration in addition to the current local government structures. The establishment of an office with more far-reaching powers, functions and budgetary capacity would be likely to require significant changes in existing local government arrangements. The implications in this regard and the changes required at local government level would need to be considered carefully.

The approach to be taken in relation to local governance for Dublin must take account of the foregoing factors. The Action Programme indicated that a special forum or colloquium of the elected members of Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin County Councils and Dublin City Council would be convened by the Lord Mayor of Dublin to consider the options for local governance in Dublin , including the potential for a directly elected Mayor for a Dublin Metropolitan Area. It is intended that proposals arising from the colloquium will be put for decision through a plebiscite in 2014, which I envisage will be held alongside the local elections. This will provide for suitable democratic debate and consultation on all dimensions of the issue.

I have recently written to the Lord Mayor of Dublin setting out matters which I consider would need to be addressed by the elected members of the four local authorities when developing proposals to be put before the electorate in the plebiscite.