Galway, Limerick, Cork, Waterford, and Kilkenny, are likely to follow Dublin and get a directly elected Mayor according to Green senator and former mayor of Galway Niall Ó Brolcháin.
Sen Ó Brolcháin has welcomed the bill to put in place a directly elected Mayor of Dublin which was introduced this week and he believes directly elected mayors for other cities in the State will follow.
“I have long been an advocate of strong local and regional Government,” he said. “I believe this initiative will be a huge success and that Galway and others will follow suit in the years ahead.”
Sen Ó Brolcháin said “any fuss and negativity about the new post will be quickly dispelled” as many cities throughout the world have a directly elected mayor and it has proven to be a success.
“You only have to visit those cities with and without a directly elected mayor to see the difference that such a position can bring,” he said. “The election itself allows the candidates to set out their stalls and have a proper debate about what is possible.”
Addressing the issue of the cost of such a position, Sen Ó Brolcháin said “if the existence of a directly elected mayor brings in even one new company during a five year term - which it will - the position will have shown its value many times over.”
