Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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181. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plan to have a directly elected Mayor for Dublin; the anticipated role and function; the year in which a directly elected Mayor will come into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7435/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Part 11 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014 provides for a plebiscite on a directly elected mayor for the four Dublin local authorities within the Dublin Metropolitan Area to be held in conjunction with the local and European elections in May, should a resolution for the plebiscite be adopted by a majority of the total membership in each of the four local authorities concerned no later than 31 March 2014.

The Lord Mayor of the City of Dublin convened a forum representative of the members of Dublin City Council, and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin County Councils to consider the possible options for the future local governance arrangements for the Dublin Metropolitan Area including the establishment of an office of a directly elected mayor and the possible role and functions of such an office. This forum has recently submitted its report and statement, which I am currently examining. My role, should I be of the view that a resolution should be put to the four authorities, is to approve the statement accompanying the resolution setting out the advantages and disadvantages, costs and benefits, etc. of the proposal for the office of directly elected mayor developed by the elected local authority members from the four authorities in the forum to assist in ensuring the electorate has the necessary information when voting in the plebiscite.

If a plebiscite on the matter is held and a majority of the votes cast is in favour of the proposal, section 69 of the Act provides that within two years of the date of the plebiscite the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government shall submit to both Houses of the Oireachtas a report containing proposals for legislation to provide for the establishment of an office of directly elected mayor of an authority for the Dublin Metropolitan Area or containing a statement of the reasons for not making proposals to legislate on the matter.