SINN Féin members locally have criticised legislation for Limerick’s Directly Elected Mayor, stating that it falls significantly short of what Government had promised at the time the plebiscite was held and it is ultimately “doomed to fail”.
Following the publication of the Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023, Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan, Senator Paul Gavan, and party leader on Limerick Council, Cllr Sharon Benson, have hit out that the people of Limerick may have been “sold a pup” both when they were polled on this issue back in 2019 and in comments from Government members since.
“Much of the noise following the plebiscite in 2019 was that we would see a significant number of powers removed from central government and allocated to the new mayor, but none of this is evident in the legislation that was published recently,” Deputy Quinlivan commented.
“As the Bill stands, all that has been given to the mayor is soft power, many of which the present CEO and local councillors already possess, most of which will not go far in enhancing participative local democracy in Limerick, leaving us with a broadly ceremonial role with very little autonomy or authority. This is both a disappointment and a missed opportunity.”
Despite disapproving of provisions within the legislation, Sinn Féin still says it broadly welcomes the Bill and confirmed to the Limerick Post that it would be contesting the election.
Cllr Sharon Benson believes the role of the mayor and the resources that will be made available for the new office need to be defined clearly.
“It is very unfortunate that it has been scheduled to coincide with the Local and European elections, given it has been on the political agenda for over five years now,” Cllr Benson commented.
“Our party will seek to amend this legislation as it goes through the Oireachtas with a view to enhancing local democracy as requested by the people of Limerick, and having a Bill that is reflective of what the people of Limerick were led to believe they were voting for back in 2019.”
Senator Paul Gavan maintains this latest Bill hasn’t lived up to expectations and appears to be a “bit of a fudge” on the part of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
“How the newly elected mayor operates in Limerick will be watched closely by other local authorities given it is the first of its kind, and I feel that instead of reforming local democracy in a way that gives local community a sense of ownership over their own affairs, the Government have opted for a model that will make anyone who was cynical about the need for a mayor feel validated in their scepticism,” he said.
“Given this mayor will set the precedent for all others going forward, it is important that we get this legislation right, and not set out on a path where it is doomed to fail.”
