The Government has published the General Scheme of a bill that will allow a directly elected mayor of Limerick to exercise executive powers.

The Local Government (Directly Elected Mayor with Executive Functions in Limerick City and County) Bill 2021 also provides for plebiscites on directly elected mayors to be held in other local authority areas.

In 2019, Limerick voted in favour of giving its mayor more powers, but the plan was rejected in Cork and Waterford.

Policies

Under the proposed legislation, a new mayor would prepare a programme setting out the policies he or she intended to carry out. This would be presented to the council within four months.

The programme, however, “shall have regard to national policies as set out by Government and the obligations of the local authority”.

The mayor’s functions include:

• Any function previously exercised by the chief executive of the local authority,
• New functions, arising as a result of additional powers, functions and responsibilities being conferred on the mayor, and
• New executive functions, arising as a result of additional powers and responsibility being vested in the local authority as a result of the establishment of the office of mayor.

The heads of the bill also set out, for the first time, how an elected official can be removed at local authority level.