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JUST BECAUSE ONE of the four Dublin authorities voted against holding a county-wide vote on a directly-elected mayor, there’s no reason a plebiscite couldn’t be held anyway.
That’s the contention of Oisín Quinn, the Labour councillor and current lord mayor of Dublin, who has been one of the main proponents of proposals to bring in a mayor with executive powers.
The Local Government Reform Act 2014 set out that a majority of members in each of the four councils needed to cast their vote in favour of a plan to hold a county-wide plebiscite for it to go ahead.
Fingal County Council scuppered that plan with its vote last Monday, with a clear majority against. The votes in the other three councils — Dublin City, Dublin South and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown were overwhelmingly in favour.
If there had been a four-council ‘lock’, the Government would have been required to hold the plebiscite.
However, the result of that wider vote wouldn’t mean the automatic introduction of a directly-elected mayor at the next local elections. It would merely have required the Environment Minister to write a report on the issue within two years.
Here’s the relevant section of the Act:
[Here's the full act. Relevant section is on page 145]
“I don’t think we lost very much by not having that report,” Quinn said.
There’s nothing to stop the Government from holding a plebiscite as a form of public consultation.
Phil Hogan’s statement, released in the wake of the Fingal vote, said:
I gave the opportunity to the elected members to develop a proposal for a plebiscite.They have not achieved a consensus, and further assessment of options must await the new councils to be elected in May.
However Quinn contends that as 98 councillors across the four authorities voted for the plebiscite to go ahead, it shows there’s a clear public appetite to have ballot in the issue.
“Of the 117 councillors who voted, the final tally was 98 for to 19 against.
Outside of Iraq and North Korea that’s about as close as you’d get to unanimity.”
Quinn concedes that if the poll were to be held, there would still be nothing compelling central Government to pursue proposals for a directly-elected mayor of the capital.
But he contends a majority vote would “send a strong message” on whether its something people want, and he says public debate in advance of the vote would help focus attention on the issue and “broaden the scope of who is involved”.
Fingal Council voted down the motion by a margin of 16 for and 6 against on Monday, with many members citing a “lack of detail” in current proposals for a reformed mayoral office.
Others argued that the seven-week lead-in for a 23 May vote wasn’t enough time to hold a proper debate on the issue, while some contended that outlying areas of the county would be left behind if the ‘executive mayor’ plan went ahead.
However, the councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion to allow people to vote in a stand-alone plebiscite at a later date — after “sufficient time and debate” had taken place on “clear proposals” for a directly-elected mayor.
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Hogan another nasty bullying individual of this sham of a government
The people of Dublin are denied a chance to vote in a referendum to have a Lord Mayor for Dublin, curtesy of councillors, who voted it down because the mayor would have executive powers. Imagine that! So much for Enda’s democratic revolution! Talking about denying a basic, democratic fundamental right! The people should be given the right to vote for a mayor, whether they want one or not. Makes me mad!
Wouldn’t a more logical solution be to allow Fingal Council, to remove itself entirely from the structure of Councils in Dublin as a whole and Elect its own CEO/Mayor ?
This will enable them to protect the future development of that region.
The remaining parts of the City , can then Elect its own CEO/Mayor ?
There’s no place for logic in this debate or politics in general. … so stop
Oh god, that would mean the government would actually have to use part 8 of the local government act 2001! issues like this is what it was made for after all, but they’re just so fond of that outdated 1991 local government act.. What to do what to do when you’re no clue what your doing!
Do we really want more politicians?!
Ireland’s Mayor Quimby types shouldn’t get the chance.
This isn’t about Ireland. This is about Dublin only. And yes Dublin does need a Mayor to run the city without having to apply to an FG Dublin hater before even building a bus stop.
Just another layer of bureaucracy. This mayor would have to have an administrative staff and of course the usual perqs. The first item on her/his agenda would be how to raise funds i.e. more tax. Meanwhile the government department dealing with local issues will continue as if nothing was changed. Best example of this is the HSE and the Department of Health.
Let’s hope the people of Fingal vote out these 16 councillors for denying all of Dublin a democratic voice on this proposal.
As a resident of Fingal I emailed the counsellors to vent my anger at their decision,2 got back to me of which 1 was very rude & not impressed.
Name and shame Tara…
Hogan and his anti Dublin FG “Fellow Travellers” instructed their FG Councillors to vote against it . Just like Jung 11 in N Korea. They will not allow Dublin develop because it doesn’t suit their agenda. Their support is in rural Ireland and consequently they have no interest in a Dublin . Never did. The latest poll result shows their rural support dropping which means that they will now become even more anti Dublin than ever to try and get their rural votes back .
Hmmm, so the lord mayor reckons that the office of lord mayor should have more power, and is happy to ignore legislation to achieve that…..
No. The office of Lord Mayor is completely separate from the proposed, new office of directly elected Mayor of Dublin.
A smart person might realise that we have elected councillors who can sort this out. Before asking the people if they should have a single executive mayor for either the city or what once was the county of Dublin, the councillors should prepare for the way in which they would cooperate with such a scheme.
Abolishing the separate councils for a start?
I don’t doubt that the councillors were looking after their own skin – as they’re genetically programmed to do – but they did us a favour – why in the name of all that’s holy would we want another layer of political ineptitude on top of the morass we already have here?
What’s more why vote in the council elections to put in more amateurs to run our counties – these people are trained to do nothing other than get themselves elected and swap their votes with other boroughs to get favours done.
Don’t encourage them – don’t vote
What makes that bunch of amateurs in Fingal co co more qualified than the people of Dublin to decide on whether we should have a directly elected Mayor?
They have denied us that opportunity.
did you read the proposal?
You can’t beat the labour sellouts. Say one thing, do another. That Quinn & Costello now get coverage for their ramblings is laughable after many of their councillors voted down the referendum. Looking forward to seeing this shower wiped out in May. Blueshirts Light. Shameful behaviour since #ge11
have all the people giving out about this vote actually read the proposal they were voting on
For Phil Hogan to talk about consensus AND majority voting is (oxy)moronic.
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