Galway should follow Dublin’s lead and elect a fully accountable mayor with real powers to direct transport, planning, and other local services.
This is the view of Green Party councillor and former mayor Niall Ó Brolcháin who was reacting to the announcement by Minister for Local Government John Gormley that Dubliners will be voting for a mayor with a range of new powers next summer.
“Galway city deserves a mayor with real powers, elected by the people - and answerable to them,” Cllr Ó Brolcháin said. “I hope Dublin is just a starting point for mayors with real powers and I encourage people to support my campaign for a directly elected mayor for Galway.”
The recently published Green Paper on Local Government Reform which called for directly elected mayors also recommended that the democratic policy making function of local government be strengthened by giving important powers of initiation - budgets, development plans, etc, to the mayor.
His party colleague Patrick Creed, the Green candidate for the Loughrea ward, has also called for a directly elected mayor for Galway county.
