Paul Hosford: One role, one vision, how one mayor could transform Limerick

Directly-elected mayors have been long-debated in Ireland, but never trialled. 

The biggest reform of local government since the foundation of the State.

That is what Peter Burke, minister of State for local government, calls the role of the directly- elected mayor in Limerick, and it is hard to disagree with his assessment, when you consider the many facets of the role and its vote later this year.

Directly-elected mayors have been long-debated in Ireland, but never trialled. 

In most local authorities, the lord mayor or cathaoirleach is a largely ceremonial position whose power is limited mainly to the running of the council chambers. 

The Limerick proposal, approved by the people of the county in 2019, stands in stark contrast to this.

Envisaged to have a hand in everything from transport to enterprise, policing to aviation policy, the Limerick mayor is a real chance to deliver major change to the city and county. 

However, the test of the role will not be what it is envisaged to deliver, it will be whether or not the mayor is given real scope to enact change that is not prescribed by central government. 

For his part, Mr Burke is enthusiastic about the idea of giving the role "real power" and says that he wants the role to work and become a template for other local authorities.

He says that "if we're serious about devolving power, this is the way", but accepts that "devolving power from Dublin is very hard". 

What is unsaid is that giving powers to the mayor of anywhere means taking them from those who currently hold them. 

And that process requires negotiation and politicking that takes time. 

That, along with the pandemic, have combined to make the process of turning the vote result into a reality a longer one than anticipated.

The “We Want Our Vote” campaign, launched in Limerick before Christmas, points to the fact that on February 17, it will be 1,000 days since the vote took place. 

Academic and broadcaster Stephen Kinsella made the argument that the vote should take place this year, which now seems likely.

“That person should have the power, given to them by the enabling legislation, to really change things for the people of Limerick. We voted for this, we want our vote,” he added.

But when that vote takes place, we will see a single person tasked with running Limerick at an executive level for seven years. 

Because the election of the mayor will be tied to local elections and the next of these happen is 2024, the first holder of the office will be handed seven full years of a mandate to run Ireland's third-largest city. 

This is an unprecedented time-frame with which to deliver — if the powers are there to really affect change.

If not, it will be the longest term ever given to a statue.

To that end, it is somewhat more disappointing that Cork and Waterford rejected their chance for a similar role in 2019 because it means that the Limerick office holder will have no comparator in Irish life by which to judge their performance. 

It may end up that change in Limerick is felt by locals more than it is seen, but a comparison with how things were being done in a nearby city would have been useful.

That is before we get to the capital. Debate on whether Dublin should have its own mayor is more than two decades old and comes up every time that there is a debate on the use of space or land in the city. 

In 2019, when advocating for a yes vote in the Munster cities, then-taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that a citizens assembly could be held in Dublin to pave the way for a similar plebiscite, but nothing has been advanced further.

Patrick St, Limerick.  For quite some time, Ireland's regional cities have felt somewhat left behind as Dublin grew and sprawled into a major European capital. 

But Mr Varadkar's proposal unwittingly highlighted the selling point for elected mayors and, indeed, the attraction to executive powers. 

For many people, the idea of one person being able to take charge of a situation or make a specific and targeted change is comforting in the face of a sclerotic government. 

This will be selling point for any candidate who wants to run in Limerick — that they can make changes alone, that they have a vision, that they can get it done.

Faced with unelected CEOs, some of whom the public regards as unaccountable and aloof, the option of one person for whom they can or can't vote will always remain desirable.

In purely political terms, the potential 2022 race offers Ireland the kind of race with which we are not familiar because it will be one person running for one office which carries real day-to-day power. 

The race itself will be less personality-based than our presidential elections, but less party-focused than a bye-election and will be a fascinating watch.

For quite some time, Ireland's regional cities have felt somewhat left behind as Dublin grew and sprawled into a major European capital. 

That primacy afforded to Dublin came with real challenges for the rest of the country which were not confronted. 

The election of a mayor for Limerick is a real chance to redress that balance.

However, as with everything, the devil will be in the detail. 

Mr Burke says he is committed to making this role work. 

The final shape of the powers will let us see if it will.