Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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The Local Government Reform Act 2014 provided for a wide-ranging programme of reform to local government structures, functions and governance, including a process for the holding of a plebiscite on the possible introduction of an office of directly elected mayor for a Dublin metropolitan authority. This procedure was based on achievement of political consensus across the four Dublin local authorities (Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and South Dublin County Council), involving the adoption of a resolution by a majority of each Dublin council for the holding of a plebiscite in relation to proposals set out in the resolution. In the event, that statutory requirement for the holding of a plebiscite was not met.

Subsequently, my predecessor, in a meeting with the Mayors of the four Dublin authorities on 7 July 2014, invited them to consider and revert with proposals that would address not only the concept of a directly elected mayor but also the wider governance of the metropolitan area including cost and functional implications. Any subsequent process would be contingent on political consensus across the four local authorities.

At this stage, any further ministerial policy initiative in this area would be a matter for consideration by the next Government.