Following the recent announcement by the government that it intends to hold a plebiscite on Directly Elected Mayors for cities, Social Democrats Councillor Cian O’Callaghan said:
“I’m a strong supporter of a Directly Elected Mayor for Dublin – I was the only councillor in Fingal County Council to speak in favour of this proposal when the council voted against a proposed plebiscite in 2014, denying the people of Dublin a chance to have their say.
“The days of indirectly elected ceremonial Mayors providing cover for non-elected Council Chief Executives should come to an end and has no place in my view in a modern Republic.
“There are several questions that we need to discuss before this proposal is put to the people of Dublin in the coming years:
· Who will hold a Directly Elected Mayor to account between elections? Will there be a directly elected Dublin Assembly?
· Will any new structures replace the current four Dublin local authorities each with their own Mayor or will they be put in place in addition to the four Dublin local authorities?
· What competencies, powers and functions would a Directly Elected Mayor have?”
Cllr O’Callaghan added:
“To open a discussion on these proposals, and to look at other measures to enhance local democracy such as participatory budgeting, I’m hosting together with Cllr. Dermot Looney and Cllr. Gary Gannon a public event this Saturday at 2.30 pm in the Gresham Hotel, O’Connell Street, Dublin. Anyone interested is very welcome to attend.”