Last autumn we introduced a Local Government (Mayor and Regional Authority of Dublin) Bill 2016 at the same time that Fianna Fáil Deputy John Lahart introduced the Local Government Reform (Amendment) (Directly Elected Mayor of Dublin) Bill 2016. The Minister of the time said he would revert back to us before 30 June to see how we would get a directly elected mayor for Dublin and perhaps also consider the same for Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway. This weekend we see that the new Minister of State with special responsibility for local government and electoral reform, Deputy John Paul Phelan, has said he believes we need four directly elected mayors for Dublin. This city needs that like a hole in the head. It is the lack of co-ordination in local government that is the real problem. Will the Taoiseach clarify the Government's plans for legislating for a directly elected mayor for Dublin? When does he expect the Government to live up to its promise of 30 June and to enter talks, as it said it would, with the Opposition parties on how we might make this work?

We have no legislation on the books, or planned at present. The new Minister of State with special responsibility for local government and electoral reform, Deputy John Paul Phelan, will respond to the Deputy before 30 June, as committed to before. During the debate on the matter at the time, we discussed the difficulty in having a Dublin super mayor over the four local authorities. What authority does such a mayor have if he or she is over four local authorities? No legislation is planned at this stage but the Minister of State will respond to the Deputy by 30 June.

The Government has made a holy mess of this.