Dubliners to vote on if they want directly elected mayor next year

Dubliners may be given the opportunity to vote on whether they want a directly elected mayor next year.

Speaking in Mayo last week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said progress has been made on the proposal.

“We’ve received the reports on the reform of local government in Dublin, including the election of a directly elected mayor,” the Taoiseach said.

That report will now be referred to a joint Oireachtas committee, before a decision could be made by the Government about holding a one-off vote on whether Dublin should elect a mayor.

Varadkar will be looking to receive a report from the committees before the end of the year so a decision can be made by the Government early in 2024.

The vote could potentially happen at the same time as the local and European elections, he said.

The suggestion of a directly elected mayor for Dublin came before the Citizens’ Assembly back in April 2022 and speaking prior to that, Varadkar said: “In Dublin we have an unusual arrangement with the four local authorities and four mayors. It is next on the list to have a citizens’ assembly on the issue.”

The news that the plebiscite may take place next year has been broadly welcomed by local TDs and councillors with many saying the position is long overdue.

Social Democrats TD for Dublin Central Gary Gannon said he was “delighted”.

“The city deserves a person who lays out a vision for its development, and can be held to account for its successes or failures. Long overdue,” he said.

Councillor for Howth-Malahide, Joan Hopkins said a mayor for Dublin who is “elected by the people and has actual powers has my vote.
“We do badly need this.”

Green Party councillor Michael Pidgeon also welcomed the news saying: “I’ve been a councillor for four years, was on the Citizens’ Assembly that recommended this, and worked for the directly elected mayor of London.

“It is clear as day to me that Dublin *needs* a role like this to build the city we deserve. Hugely important decision ahead for Dubliners.”

However, former Lord Mayor and Green Party Councillor Hazel Chu said a plebiscite is “just another delay” and called on the Government to pass the legislation needed.

“Instead of voting next year on if we want a directly elected mayor we should be electing who that person is,” she said.

“We have perhaps the weakest local government in Europe.

“This is the root cause of many of the problems facing our capital and indeed facing the cities across Ireland.

“We need stronger local government, with real powers and real accountability. We have had a so much stalled reform in the past, this plebiscite is simply more stalling – get on with passing legislation.”

Last year’s Citizen Assembly that drafted the report consisted of 80 members; Chairman Jim Gavin, 67 randomly selected citizens of Dublin City and County, and 12 elected councillors that were nominated to participate.

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said during an address that voting for a Lord Mayor could become “a dog’s dinner” if it was not introduced with care.

He said that “a lot of celebs would run for it, who wouldn’t care two damns about the city.”

“I like systems that are coherent and straightforward, that you know who the boss is, you know what the committee is, and you know what the agenda is.

“Too much of my political life was spent working about eight organisations trying to find out what the agenda was, and that I don’t like,” he said.

“I think it’s to make it better, and simpler, and that’s what we should be trying to do.”