A chara, – The article “Dublin forum to weigh options for elected mayor post” (Home News, July 24th) states that my colleague, Dublin City Council lord mayor Oisín Quinn, is leading a forum of councillors to draft these proposals. The lord mayor sits on a steering group along with myself as mayor of South Dublin, the mayor of Fingal and the cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Council, who are acting as guides for the process. A cross-party selection of councillors from the four local authorities, as well as the Dublin Regional Authority, sits on the forum itself.
There is no set leader of the process. My view is that it should be the people of Dublin who will lead this process, in terms of their contributions though a public consultation process for which I have argued from the outset.
The article entitled “Dubliners want to elect their mayor, poll finds” (Front Page, July 24th) states that the lord mayor of Dublin City Council will chair the first meeting of the forum. By the time this letter goes to print, I will have chaired the first meeting in County Hall, Tallaght. This is because there is an agreement that all four Dublin local authorities will share meetings. The mayor or cathaoirleach of each local authority will take turns in chairing these meetings.
It is understandable to focus on the lord mayor, given the history of that position, but it is worth noting that, compared to the 525,000 people living in the Dublin City Council area, more than 745,000 live in the other Dublin authority areas.
Those living in Greenhills, Tallaght, Lucan, Rathfarnham or Clondalkin, or for that matter Swords or Dún Laoghaire, are as much Dubliners as those in the city council area. We are all part of the story of Dublin. And if an elected mayor for Dublin is to work, she or he must have regard to this and be a voice for all Dubliners, regardless of their address or postcode. – Is mise,
DERMOT LOONEY,
Mayor,
South Dublin
County Council,
County Hall,
Tallaght,
Dublin 24.