The people of Limerick could be voting for their first directly elected Mayor by next June.
It follows the decision of Cabinet to approve the legislative bill which will go before the Dáil next autumn, over four years after the citizens voted to have such a new role created for their city and county.
The people of Limerick voted in May 2019 to directly elect their own Mayor after a plebiscite was conducted in Limerick, as well as in Waterford and Cork. The proposal was rejected in the two other cities.
The election for a Mayor of Limerick will take place next June, on the same day as the local and European elections, which will be held on a date to be confirmed between 6-9 June.
At Cabinet today the Government signed off on the publication of the Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) bill 2023, which established the office of Mayor and its functions.
The new arrangements will be made up of a three-tier structure of the elected council, the directly elected Mayor, and the Chief Executive, who will become the Director General of the Council.
The Mayor will have a wide range of functions including the strategic and economic development of Limerick, housing, road transport and safety, and environmental services.
The Mayor will be responsible for proposing the annual budget to the council, but the Director General will retain responsibility for managing the council's day-to-day operations.
Minister of State for Local Government and Planning Kieran O’Donnell welcomed the move.
"Having a directly elected mayor will enable the people of Limerick to have a greater say over how services and infrastructure are delivered and how Limerick develops, as they voted for by plebiscite.
"This is a key milestone on the way to having the first directly elected mayor in Ireland and is one the most significant reforms of local government since the foundation of our state, with Limerick leading the way," he said.
The Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023 will be published in the coming days.
