Mayoral election plan to be unveiled

THE WHITE Paper on local government reform, which will establish a directly-elected mayor for Dublin, will be published within weeks, Minister for Environment John Gormley has said.

Speaking last night at a meeting of the Dublin Regional Authority, which represents councillors from all four Dublin local authorities, Mr Gormley said a directly-elected mayor of Dublin will have "superior powers" to the current city and county management.

Mr Gormley said he could not discuss the detail of the White Paper before publication, but he insisted the new mayor, who would have authority over Dublin city and county, would be "the most significant innovation" to be introduced.

"You have to give superior powers to the person who is directly elected by the people. That is the person who has an independent voice, that independence comes from a democratic mandate."

London had been "transformed" by its directly-elected mayor, and Mr Gormley said he hoped the same would happen to Dublin.

The mayor, who is due to come to power by 2011, would have power over public transport policies and housing policies, and would have a major role in education and justice matters in the city.

The current system of local government was far too dependent on central Government, he said.

"This dependence can result in local authorities being stymied in pursuing imaginative local solutions to local problems," Mr Gormley said.