‘Any recommendation by Citizens’ Assembly to abolish Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will not be tolerated,’ says local councillor

Fine Gael Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Councillor Cllr. John Kennedy has today warned that any recommendation emerging in a ballot of members of the Dublin Citizens’ Assembly on Saturday to abolish Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council as part of reforms proposed for a new directly-elected mayor for Dublin will be ‘fiercely resisted’ by himself and other local councillors.

“It is expected that a vote will take place on Saturday among Citizens’ Assembly members,” Cllr. Kennedy said.

“Asking whether they wish to recommend abolishing Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Dublin City Council, South Dublin County Council and Fingal County Council as they are currently formed as part of proposals to empower a new mayor for all of Dublin.

“This proposal if it emerges from the vote would be simply unacceptable and would significantly disrupt local government representation in a drastic and unfavourable way.

“Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council by and large works very well within its existing structure to represent a population of over 200,000 people where local councillors and council management all have their ears close to the ground.

“There is a strong risk of overcentralisation of powers which would lead to a gross backlog of issues concerning Stillorgan, Mount Merrion, Foxrock, Dundrum and Dún Laoghaire being queued together with issues concerning Swords, Lucan, Tallaght, Finglas and Rathmines on a perpetual, unworkable basis.

“The recent report by the Commission on Taxation and Welfare included a very worrying consideration of targeting Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council income sources such as commercial rates and property taxes for possible future retention by the Exchequer, for redistribution as it would see fit.

“This taken in tandem with the deliberations of the Assembly at the weekend paints a deeply concerning picture and councillors must stand up for the powers, financing and stature of all four existing local authorities in Dublin to be thoroughly sustained in the event of a new mayor being established.”

“There is sufficient scope for some oversight powers not already handled by the four Dublin councils, such as those relating to transport, policing and healthcare to be granted to a new mayoral office to give it credibility without affecting the important capacities of the existing councils.”

“Were a recommendation to emerge after the voting by the Citizens’ Assembly at the weekend for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the other three Dublin councils to be abolished, I expect a full political mobilization of councillors to be immediately initiated to challenge such a proposal. In short, there would be war.”