A bill that will enable the direct election of a mayor of Limerick later this year has passed all stages in the Oireachtas.

Under the legislation, the mayor will take on many of the executive functions that currently rest with the chief executive, and will also take on a range of new functions, supported by a budget.

Kieran O’Donnell (Minister of State for Planning and Local Government) described the Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023 as “historic”.

‘Greater say’

“Having a directly elected mayor will enable the people of Limerick to have a greater say over how services and infrastructure are delivered and how Limerick develops, as they voted for by plebiscite,” he stated.

The bill also makes provision for the holding of plebiscites in other local-authority areas on the question of whether to directly elect a mayor.

The elections for Mayor of Limerick will be held on the same date as the local and European elections, which will be held between 6 June and 9 June.