Green Party push for directly elected mayors in major cities

Regional mayors in Cork, Limerick, Waterford, as well as in Dublin, should be directly elected and in place for the next round of elections in 2019, the Green Party says.

Party leader Eamon Ryan said his bill is similar to Fianna Fáil’s and the proposal for a Dublin city mayor would work like in London.

Last night, the Dáil heard a debate on a bill brought by Fianna Fáil’s John Lahart which proposes a directly elected mayor for Dublin on a salary of up to €175,000 a year. The bill, which is not being opposed by the Government, aims to legislate for a key part of the Fianna Fáil general election manifesto commitment to give fresh leadership to local communities with directly elected mayors.