Government set to sign off on legislation to elect mayor of Limerick this year

Role was passed in a plebiscite in 2019 by a margin of 52.4% to 47.6%

Legislation for a directly elected mayor of Limerick could be in place this year. Picture: Dan Linehan

The Government is set to sign off on legislation which will see an election for the role of mayor of Limerick take place this year.

Junior Minister at the Department of Housing Peter Burke will ask Cabinet for permission to proceed with priority drafting of the bill for the role which was passed in a plebiscite in 2019 by a margin of 52.4% to 47.6%.

The bill will establish the office with the aim of an election being held in the last quarter of 2021, subject to public health advice. The memo will also allow the mayor, when elected, to convene a rural board and convene local stakeholders.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar is expected to get Government approval today for a law that bans ticket touting and reselling for large events.

The Sale of Tickets Bill 2021 is expected to be approved by Government today and will be published later this week.

The bill will ban the resale of tickets for live events, matches and concerts in designated venues, at a price above face value. 

There is an exemption for amateur sports clubs and registered charities for fundraising purposes. A person found guilty of an offence under the act will face a fine of up to €100,000 or up to two years imprisonment.

Once enacted, operators of venues with a capacity to hold 1,000 people or more will be able to apply to the Minister for Enterprise for designation. Once designated, reselling of tickets above the original sales price for that venue will be prohibited.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar is expected to get government approval today for a law that bans ticket touting and reselling for large events.

The legislation also provides that event organisers or venue operators may apply for the designation of events that take place on an annual or other periodic basis in the same venue.

The legislation is aimed to be enacted in time for the Euro 2020 games due to take place in Ireland this year, though there is ongoing doubt about whether those games will go ahead. Football's European governing body UEFA on Monday said that "no decision is forthcoming as yet regarding the hosting of four games in Dublin at the UEFA EURO 2020 finals this summer". It is understood that a decision will be made this Friday.

Meanwhile, Cabinet will also discuss a piece of legislation brought by Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien which will begin the process of moving Irish Water out of its parent company, Ervia. The Programme for Government commits to the measure which will "retain Irish Water in public ownership as a national, standalone, regulated utility".

Also due to be discussed is a bill which will allow for the regularisation of thousands of undocumented migrants living in Ireland. The memo, being brought by Justice Minister Helen McEntee, is part of her Department's action plan launched earlier this year.

It commits to opening "a new regularisation scheme for thousands of undocumented migrants who have made Ireland their home". The bill is expected to be launched later this week.

Cabinet will also be presented with the interim report of an independent group which is examining racism in Ireland. The report will lay out the group's progress and open a public consultation on the topic.

Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath will present a report on Ireland's spending in the first quarter and Cabinet will be updated on the vaccine rollout.

Legislation is also expected to be brought by Education Minister Norma Foley which would empower the State Examinations Commission to withhold grades from children of people proven to have lobbied teachers.