JOHN GORMLEY should stop pretending that a new mayor for Dublin will be elected before the end of this year. At the rate progress is being made in producing agreed legislation, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government will be lucky if an election takes place in 2011. A directly-elected mayor may represent a considerable advance in terms of democratic accountability, provided sufficient powers are devolved. But generating unrealistic public expectations in connection with that office is unhelpful.
It has been nearly two years since Mr Gormley published a Green Paper on local government reform. That envisaged the election of city and regional mayors with executive powers and the devolution of authority from county to town level. The approach not only threatened to dilute the powers of county and city managers but it represented a challenge to the authority of certain Government Ministers. Since then, arising from representations made by public officials and Cabinet discussions, considerable revisions have taken place.
The draft Bill published yesterday allows for mayoral input into, but not control over, Dublin transportation policy. There is no discretionary budget. The mayor will chair a regional authority and, with a staff of 30, will generate policy for land use and housing, along with waste management and water services. Responsibility for operational matters will continue to reside with managers of the four local authorities. In view of the failure of previous reform measures, Mr Gormley has invited the Opposition parties to discuss the draft legislation with him. And, reflecting his own desire to grant greater autonomy to the incumbent, an elected mayor will be encouraged to propose changes and improvements after two years in office.
Obstruction and delay can be the most potent weapons in the armoury of senior officials who are unwilling to surrender their accumulated powers. Noel Dempsey learned that to his cost nine years ago when he introduced legislation providing for directly-elected mayors. His initiative was buried in a swamp of resistance from officials and politicians and the proposal was subsequently abandoned. John Gormley is now being taught that same uncomfortable lesson. Identifying an administrative weakness or failure is one thing; introducing effective mechanisms and procedures to deal with it is quite another.
Local government is not working properly. Corruption at official and political level, in terms of planning and rezoning, has been a running sore. There is a “disconnect” between officials and the community in terms of trust and consultation. When things go wrong, there is no accountability. Making an elected mayor directly responsible, while introducing a performance-based system for public servants, has driven reform and efficiencies in other countries. But this draft legislation does not envisage the kind of radical reform and accountability that is required. Creating an extra level of administration at a time of financial scarcity makes little or no sense.