Murphy criticised for 'incompetent' handling of Bill for direct election of mayors

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has been severely criticised in the Dail after he proposed major last minute changes to a Bill aimed at delivering directly elected mayors in Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.

Details of the plan, revealed in the Irish Examiner on Monday, have been the subject of deep internal wrangling within Cabinet and Opposition TDs rounded on Mr Murphy's “inappropriate, incompetent and undemocratic” handling of the bill.