We are 58 days away from the local elections. One of the key votes on the day will be in the plebiscite on directly elected mayors. This week we have had reporting of Cabinet Ministers saying the proposal could lead to an over-concentration of control. There is an over-concentration of control; it has continued for 121 years in the Custom House. Even more concerning are the observations of the Attorney General, Mr. Seamus Woulfe, on the transfer of powers from the executive to the elected members and in raising a flag about the loss of expertise, which, if reported correctly, are extremely worrying from the point of view of the suppression of the advancement of local democracy. We all know that there is no loss of expertise or jobs; it is all about who is accountable to the public for policy.

The Attorney General also observed that the proposals for the plebiscite should be sent for further legal advice and further policy consideration. Does the Taoiseach share the Attorney General's views on directly elected mayors? What is the timeframe - if the proposals are to be sent for further consideration - for the start of the information campaign mentioned by the Taoiseach yesterday? We are eight weeks away from polling day. If there is not at the very least a very basic understanding of the proposals, they are destined to fail, which would be disastrous for local democracy. Let us not give the people a Mayor Quimby solution but the first step to real reform.

I am not sure if it was reported correctly. Generally, when the Attorney General gives advice, his advice is on legal matters, not the expertise levels of staff in local authorities, as being a barrister the Attorney General would have no knowledge of such things. However, he has said that even though it is not a referendum in a constitutional sense, we need to treat it as though it was. Therefore a de facto referendum commission will be established. We will not use any public money in advocating a "Yes" vote, but there will be an information campaign funded publicly and run from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

I will explain the proposal in the simplest way possible. It is a real job. There will be a lord mayor for Cork and mayors for Waterford city and county and Limerick city and county, if the people want it. We will see a transfer of power from the chief executive, formerly known as the county or city manager, to a directly elected mayor. It will be similar to the relationship in Departments between Ministers and their Secretaries General. The mayor will propose the budget and development plan. It is a real job with real clout for somebody who can lead his or her city regions forward. The powers to stay with the CEO are those that are most appropriately not dealt with by a politician: individual planning decisions, individual housing applications and human resources matters.

What is the timeframe for the information campaign?

I think it is next week or the following week. The Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, is conducting it.