Directly elected mayor for Limerick may not happen this year

Legislation will not be published until April, government confirms

The vote to elect a mayor may take place alongside the local and European elections in May 2024. Picture: Dan Linehan

Legislation to bring about an election for a mayor of Limerick will not be published until April.

The move, nearly four years after the people of the city voted in a plebiscite to have a directly-elected mayor, means that an election in 2023 may not be possible, government sources have accepted.

In a parliamentary question response to Green Party TD for Limerick City Brian Leddin, the new junior minister at the Department of Housing Kieran O'Donnell, himself a Limerick TD, said the Government is aiming to publish the bill and progress it through the Oireachtas in the summer session, before the July recess.

However, multiple sources told the Irish Examiner that while this would mean that an election could be held in October or November, it would be "difficult" to do and running the election along with the local and European elections in May 2024 would "make more sense". 

The mayoral elections in Limerick have always been designed to run alongside local elections, but the initial term had been intended to run for seven years. This election, intended for 2022, never materialised. 

It is understood the delay is down to staff being assigned to a planning review by the department.

In his response, Mr O'Donnell said: "My department is engaging with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel in relation to the drafting of the Local Government (Directly Elected Mayor with Executive Functions in Limerick city and county) Bill, which is well advanced.

"Finalisation of this complex bill has been identified as a priority and I am working towards the bill being published in April. 

"It is my hope that the bill would be able to progress through the Houses of the Oireachtas during the 2023 summer session. The timing of the Limerick mayoral election will be a matter for Government once the bill is enacted.

"A public information campaign about this significant change in the way in which Limerick will be governed will be very important."

Green Party TD Brian Leddin: I hope it will be a proper devolution of power to Limerick.

A vote in 2019 to create the role passed by a margin of 52.4% to 47.6% and the first holder of the office will remain in place until 2029, with five-year terms thereafter. The officeholder will be paid a junior minister's salary of €137,000.

Mr Leddin told the Irish Examiner that the delay makes it feel like the bill has moved down in importance given that the plebiscite was in 2019 and the legislation was supposed to follow quickly. 

"It does feel like it's been deprioritised. The most recent detail is from the new minister, who is from Limerick. The fact that the legislation is coming in April is good news. I hope it will be a proper devolution of power to Limerick.

"The most important power is that the mayor is an executive mayor and is accountable to the electorate after five years, that they can organise the local authority and put forward a vision to achieve that.

"I would like to think that there'd be powers in sustainable transport because that's hugely important for the city. It would be normal."