The key to effective government involves a clear linkage between authority and accountability. But the latter requirement has been progressively ignored in this State. Because of that, a Green Paper on the functions of a directly elected lord mayor of Dublin should focus debate on whether power and responsibility can be shared between the mayor and a city manager, or whether entirely new structures are needed. That did not happen seven years ago when legislation for elected mayors and council chairmen was initially introduced.
Since then, Ken Livingstone has shown what a directly elected mayor can achieve in London. And the Dublin Chamber of Commerce invited Martin O'Malley, a highly innovative mayor of Baltimore, to advise on his experience last week. Mr O'Malley said his success was based on the introduction of a performance-related system, which identified administrative failings and shortcomings, and observed: "It's very easy for people in bureaucracy to duck and hide, without the public accountability that comes from one person being in charge".
Resistance to any diminution of their powers by city and county managers, along with objections by local councillors, led to plans by Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats for directly elected mayors and council chairmen to be shelved some years ago. This time, however, the agenda is being driven by the Green Party and only Dublin is involved. The plan is to have a directly elected mayor, with executive powers, in place by 2011.
Minister for the Environment and Green Party leader John Gormley hopes to produce a consultative Green Paper this year, followed by a White Paper in 2008. His intention is to legislate for an elected mayor with direct responsibility and accountability for both the provision of services and the development of the city. It is a tall order, given the vested interests opposed to reform. Some of his Cabinet colleagues would have to cede power in such a system. Senior public servants would not welcome change. And the political views and untested abilities of a charismatic candidate could cause concern.
Ranged against such "do nothing" considerations is the harsh reality that local government is neither efficient nor responsive to public needs. Councillors have received limited new powers. But the administrative system is still highly secretive, unaccountable and undemocratic. To compound these difficulties, a shortfall of more than €1 billion in local authority funding is likely to emerge by the end of the decade. Reform is a vital necessity. And it should not be confined to providing a directly elected lord mayor for Dublin.