The Department of Local Government has announced that there are currently no plans for a public vote concerning the establishment of an directly elected mayor for Dublin to coincide with the local and European elections in June. A potential date for the referendum had been discussed at a Cabinet meeting last year, but as the election day approaches, the likelihood of the plebiscite taking place at the same time is dwindling.
The department is still reviewing proposals for the new role, which were put forth by the Dublin Citizens’ Assembly on Local Government and the Committee on Housing and Local Government of the Oireachtas. An official has stated that the government will eventually evaluate and disclose its course of action regarding recommendations from the Dublin Citizens’ Assembly, but no concrete plans to schedule the referendum in June have been established.
Meanwhile, citizens in both Limerick city and county will be casting their votes to elect Ireland’s pioneer directly elected mayor on June 7th. This follows the successful plebiscite of 2019 that led to the endorsement of the establishment of this post in Limerick. However, similar suggestions to instantiate such a position in Cork and Waterford were rejected.
The Dublin Citizens’ Assembly had earlier voted for the creation of a highly influential new mayor role with extensive responsibilities spanning over 15 policy areas like housing, homelessness, local health services, transportation, environment, and emergency services. They further suggested that some areas like policing, water management, and education should be transferred after five to 10 years.
The new role would combine the ceremonial duties of the current four mayors in the city with expanded executive powers. The report detailing these proposals was made public in January last year, with the Oireachtas committee later examining these suggestions and generating its report in December. The committee endorsed these plans for a directly elected mayor, claiming it would offer stronger and more efficient governance for Dublin. The report also stated that a public vote would greatly validate the mayoral role and supported the holding of the plebiscite this year, pending the release of comprehensive legislation outline for the creation of the office.
The committee’s findings suggest that there was a certain degree of reluctance from the assembly about postponing a plebiscite, given the belief that “if a plebiscite isn’t presented to the citizens of Dublin during the local and European elections in June 2024, it simply won’t transpire”.
However, the committee’s findings, albeit endorsing a plebiscite to occur at some stage in the current year, also expressed it “could occur whenever in the following 23 months, when numerous elections are set to transpire.”
The post of Limerick’s directly-elected mayor comes attached with a remuneration of roughly €154,000 and an annual budget of €8 million earmarked for various projects and initiatives. The most considerable authority attributed to the mayor is the proposal of Limerick City and County Council’s yearly budget, though councillors still retain the right to approve it.
The mayor will also propose the local development plan for the next five years and will be granted a predetermined number of yearly engagements with cabinet ministers.