Government must act to resolve Limerick mayoral deadlock
Government must act to resolve Limerick mayoral deadlock - The Labour Party
- Government must appoint mediator to resolve Limerick mayoral stasis
- Legislative review required
Limerick Labour TD and Spokesperson on Housing and Local Government Conor Sheehan TD has called on Government to urgently bring forward the legislative review of the Directly Elected Mayor of Limerick and to appoint an independent mediator to resolve the ongoing standoff at City Hall.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“John Moran was elected emphatically by the people of Limerick less than two years ago, alongside forty elected councillors. Pretending that the current situation is working, or that it is good for Limerick, is simply not credible.
“At the heart of this dysfunction are clear weaknesses and ambiguities in the legislation governing the directly elected mayor. These flaws were repeatedly flagged by Opposition TDs during Second and Committee Stage, but the final legislation was watered down, leaving uncertainty over where executive authority lies and who is ultimately responsible for key governance decisions within the council.
“That lack of clarity has now led to paralysis. The purpose of a directly elected mayor is to provide leadership, accountability and momentum, not stalemate. These issues must be addressed as a matter of urgency in the legislative review, and an independent mediator should be appointed to help restore effective working relationships in the meantime.
“I support the principle of a directly elected executive mayor, and this model should be rolled out elsewhere in Ireland. But for it to succeed, the framework must be clear, robust and workable.
“Limerick is currently lagging badly on delivery, with just 34 per cent of its overall housing targets met and only 70 per cent of its social housing targets delivered. These are the real issues facing people. Oireachtas members, councillors, the mayor and the council executive must be focused on working together to deliver homes, not stuck in a governance stand-off.”