478. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will introduce legislation on a directly elected mayor for Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51458/26]

The 2022 Dublin Citizens’ Assembly was asked to consider the type of directly elected mayor and local government structures best suited for Dublin. Its final report was presented to the then Taoiseach in January 2023. In June 2023, the Houses of the Oireachtas referred the report to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage for consideration of its recommendations and the Committee reported back in December 2023.

The Citizens’ Assembly Report proposed the holding of a plebiscite on the question of a Dublin Mayor. While supporting such an approach, the Committee’s Report recommended that a plebiscite be held only after a General Scheme of a Bill for a Dublin Mayor was developed so that there is full clarity on the detail of the proposal. The Programme for Government commits to supporting the office of the Directly Elected Mayor of Limerick and considering further plebiscites in Dublin and other cities. The Dublin Citizens' Assembly report and recommendations, and the Committee's Report, are under consideration by my Department.

The Local Democracy Taskforce, a key commitment in the Programme for Government, was established in July 2025 with the purpose of bringing forward a suite of reforms across the Local Government Sector. The Taskforce presented its final report on 4 March 2026.

An implementation plan is currently being drafted with a view to bringing the report and implementation to plan to Government for consideration shortly. Following this, the report and implementation plan will be published and the process of implementing the reform policy ultimately agreed by Government will commence.