Legislation outlines roles and responsibilities for Limerick's new directly elected mayor

Local Government junior minister Kieran O'Donnell said: “This is a key milestone on the way to having the first directly elected mayor in Ireland and is one the most significant reforms of local government since the foundation of our State, with Limerick leading the way.”

The mayor of Limerick will be elected on the same day as the local and European elections next year, five years after the people of the county voted in favour of the position being created.

The Government has on Tuesday finally published the legislation around the directly elected mayor of Limerick which sets out the roles and responsibilities of the new mayor.

Under the legislation, the mayor will take on executive functions, at a strategic or policy level, in areas including:

• Strategic Development, i.e. proposing the development plan for the City and County and driving the economic and spatial development of Limerick
• Housing and building 
• Road Transport and Safety
• Environmental services

The mayor will be responsible for proposing the annual budget to the council.

A new role of Príomh Comhairleoir replaces that of Cathaoirleach who will chair the elected Council and act as its speaker.

The mayor will be an ex officio member of the council, in addition to the existing 40 members, subject to similar rights, responsibilities and duties as any other elected member. The council director general will remain in charge of accounting for the council's finances and the distribution of individual grants.

Local Government junior minister Kieran O'Donnell said that he was "delighted" to see such "significant powers" granted to the mayor, who will be elected by those in the city and county.

“I am delighted that Government has approved publication of this draft legislation to allow the people of Limerick city and county to directly elect a mayor with significant powers and that the election will be held on the same date as the local elections in 2024. 

"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.

“This is a key milestone on the way to having the first directly elected mayor in Ireland and is one the most significant reforms of local government since the foundation of our State, with Limerick leading the way,” said Minister O’Donnell.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the move to directly elected mayor is a "real opportunity to deepen local democracy".

"The text of Limerick Mayor Bill was also approved so that will be published in the next couple of days. That sets out the power, responsibilities and budget of the Limerick Mayor and the various relationships with the council and national authorities.

"The election will be held concurrent with local and European elections in June of next year. And also, the legislation provides for other local authorities to call local referendums if they so wish to allow for directly elected mayors. 

"So, it will be open to local authorities to have a local referendum sometime after June of next year, and then come the local elections in 2029 we could see a large number of directly elected mayors being elected across the country. 

"So, a real opportunity I think to deepen local democracy and make local democracy more direct," Mr Varadkar told reporters in Government Buildings.