Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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533. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the procedure will be put in place to designate Drogheda as a city in view of the fact that it meets the EU criteria for city status and in further view of the fact that its location, population and strategic importance make it suitable to the role of regional capital of the north east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38630/18]

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Local government areas are specified in primary legislation. The Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) currently provides for 3 cities, Cork, Dublin and Galway, and for each of these to have a city council.

If an additional city council were to be established, this would have significant implications for the county in which the area concerned is situated, particularly loss of functions of the relevant county council. Provision for this and in relation to other consequential matters would have to be made in the relevant legislation. I have no plans for legislation in this regard.