merrion street

The Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform, John Paul Phelan, TD, today (27 May, 2019) noted the decision of the people of Limerick to vote in favour of the Plebiscite for a Directly Elected Mayor.

Plebiscites, in which the people of Cork City Council, Limerick City and County Council, and Waterford City and County Council voted on the proposal for a directly elected mayor with executive functions for their Councils, took place on 24 May 2019 in conjunction with the Local & European elections.

Under the Government’s proposals, a directly elected mayor with executive functions would:

• perform a significant amount of the executive functions currently performed by local authority chief executives
• prepare and oversee implementation of a programme of office (similar to a programme for government)
• ensure that the chief executive performs the functions of the local authority in accordance with the mayor and elected council’s policies
• be an ex-officio member and cathaoirleach of the elected council, contributing to the elected council’s exercise of their reserved functions
• represent the entire local authority area at local, national and international level.

Friday’s plebiscite in Limerick saw 38,122 (52.4%) voters approving the plan, with 34,573 (47.6%) voters rejecting the proposal.

As the proposal has been approved by a majority of voters in Limerick, the Minister, within 2 years, must prepare and submit to each House of the Oireachtas a report specifying proposals for the enactment of a law providing for a directly elected mayor of the administrative area in respect of which the plebiscite was held. The Oireachtas will then consider the legislation and once the required legislation is passed, an election for Mayor  with executive functions will take place for the area concerned.