There is a website – Mayor4Dublin.ie – which is asking for Dubliners’ opinions on what kind of directly-elected Mayor we would like for our city. The four local councils in Dublin – Dublin City, South Dublin, Fingal and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown – have come together to ask us what kind of powers we would like the Mayor to have, and what his/her exact role should be.
This is part of an online public consultation process that lasts from September 16th to October 12th, so we only have a week left to get our opinions in. You can find all of the details to make submissions here, plus you can take a survey which will also be used to gauge the public’s opinions on what kind of directly-elected Mayor Dublin should end up with.
Although not apparent from the outset, the survey may actually take a little time to complete, so here are Word Document/PDF versions of the survey, so you can see what questions will require answering. It may be useful for you to check out one of those first. But if you have a lot to say, it’s recommended that you also make a written submission (and send by email or post, details at that link).
Here is the official press release about the new online consultation process…
Public consultation on the Directly-Elected Mayor for Dublin.
This process was initiated in April 2013 when the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Phil Hogan TD, asked the Lord Mayor of Dublin City to bring together a “Colloquium” (Forum) of Councillors from the four local authorities. The Minister has asked all four councils to agree a joint proposal by the end of 2013.
This forum has two parts: a Steering Group, made up of the Mayors of Fingal and South Dublin, the Lord Mayor of Dublin City and the Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, along with Council officials; and a Working Group, made up of 22 Cllrs from different political parties, representing all four local authorities and the Dublin Regional Authority. Meetings of these groups rotate between the four local authority offices and are chaired in turn by the relevant Mayor/Lord Mayor/Cathaoirleach.
At its first meeting on July 24th, the Working Group agreed to ask members of the public for their views in a public consultation process from September 16th to October 12th. This public consultation process includes an opportunity for submissions to be made and published online, an online survey, public meetings and workshops. It has been publicised on the homepages of the four local authorities and through their social media accounts, as well as through ads in the local press.
Offline consultation is facilitated through Council offices and libraries across the four local authority areas. Submissions have also been invited from community groups, business organisations, government departments and other organisations which may be affected by the introduction of a Directly-Elected Mayor.
Following this period of public consultation, the Working Group will seek to put together a draft proposal. This document will then go before full Council meetings in all four local authority areas in December 2013 and then onto the Minister. It is envisaged that these proposals will form the basis of a plebiscite of all Dubliners next May.
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