Minister for the Environment John Gormley has published the legislation to provide for a new directly elected mayor of the Dublin region.
The Dublin Mayor Bill includes a provision for the protection of so-called whistleblowers in the local government area, Mr Gormley said.
The mayor will be supported by a “new, more focused” 16-member Regional Authority of Dublin- reduced from the current 30 members - with the Mayor acting as chair.
He or she will have responsibility for establishing and overseeing the future physical development of Dublin city and region by setting out regional planning guidelines which the Dublin local authorities must abide by.
Mr Gormley said the mayor would have a strong role in relation to transport in Dublin, leading the Greater Dublin Transport Council within the National Transport Authority.
The role also includes responsibility for ensuring the delivery of an environmentally sustainable approach to waste management.
Conservation and efficient use of water resources and the safe treatment of waste water, as well as housing issues and the promotion of Dublin abroad also fall within the mayor’s remit.
The Minister said a staff of about 30 will provide administrative support to the mayor and Regional Authority.
A senior advisory team will be appointed directly by the mayor for the duration of his or her tenure. The remainder of the staff will consist of personnel transferred from elsewhere in the local government sector.
“The election of the Dublin mayor will be the most significant change in Irish local government since the 19th Century,” Mr Gormley said. “The citizens of Dublin will elect a local government leader equipped with a democratic mandate unsurpassed in the history of the city."
He said the mayor would deliver “significantly strengthened leadership for the city and region”. The post would provide “enhanced accountability and a direct connection with the citizen, thereby reinvigorating local government”.
“I am particularly happy that the introduction of the mayor will not cost the taxpayer a single additional cent,” Mr Gormley said.
The costs would be met entirely from within existing local government resources.
Mr Gormley said the introduction of the directly elected Dublin mayor would put the capital on a similar footing to most of Europe’s leading cities, including London, Paris and Berlin.
“I look forward to the electoral contest which will enliven local government, bring a new sense of civic engagement and allow the city to compete better with cities elsewhere.”