Good morning, elected representatives, esteemed colleagues, distinguished guests, and friends old and new.
It is my great honour and I want to thank you very much for the invitation to address you today as the Directly Elected Mayor of Limerick, opening the Martin McEvoy 2025 Conference.
The theme of this conference - 'Democracy, Devolution, and Impact' - resonates deeply with the transformative changes unfolding in local governments across the world - none more so than in my home county of Limerick.
The Dean has just referred to the role of transformation of lives and I can certainly say that my life was transformed last June when I was fortunate enough to become the first directly elected mayor to take office in June of last year, not just in Limerick, but in Ireland.
Today, I want to reflect a little on four things
- the backdrop to how Limerick became the first local authority to have a directly elected mayor and some general themes emerging,
- what changes have already been taking place in the nine months since the election,
- what changes are still on-going and
- the promise I see from this work for the future of local government more broadly in Ireland.
The backdrop to Limerick's choice
Trip to UK
Last week, I led a Limerick delegation on a tour of four cities in England, Liverpool, Salford, Manchester and Birmingham. Each have to varying degrees evolved their system of local government so I am brimming with new ideas since and looking forward very much to our discussions today.
The one thread that joins us all together in this type of discussion, no matter what our political persuasion, is a commitment to the principles of democracy, the pursuit of meaningful impact in our communities and ultimately improving the lives of the people we represent.
It was comforting during my trip last week to hear my own belief echoed so strongly by others, namely, that retaining faith in democracy now requires strong adherence to the principle of subsidiarity in government – namely that decisions should take place at the level closest to the people they effect.
Not only is that it is a good theoretical idea for democracy but that the results in the UK already show that the more power and budgetary autonomy is being devolved to the regions, the more successful they are becoming economically and socially.
Limerick Dynamics
Like in those regional UK cities, in Limerick, there has been a strong sense that over centralised government is not serving regional locations well.
But that was not all. In the run-up years to the DEM Election, on the ground there was also a strong belief that despite huge success in job creation and private enterprise, that public sector delivery was lagging behind in Limerick for critical infrastructure like healthcare and public transport and even that the local government was not delivering well on the many plans it had published like regeneration and Limerick 2030 especially after the collapse of Dell.
How I can I be so sure about that? Simply, because I felt that frustration strongly myself after my move back to Limerick. Leaving Dublin and the Department of Finance behind had opened my eyes to how local government was not working in Ireland.
So the mood music was perfect for Limerick to become the test bed for local government reform.
Making Change Happen
We are now seeing real change in Limerick unfold before our eyes.
We all know that change can be tough especially for those whose familiarity is with the prevailing status quo. Understandably, they struggle to cope with loss of monopoly power and influence in the new system or to hear their long prevailing political “truths” are now under challenge by others with arguably more powerful electoral mandates.
What I have seen is that most of the former system has strongly embraced the changes we are driving forward in Limerick and have been very supportive.
It is natural I suppose though too to see some of the “system” default to resistance to change before embracing it. But stepping back we know we must respect the choices being made by voters all over Europe. This is all the most in Ireland which is a real laggard when it comes to devolution of power to local regions – a point which has been made so strongly by even the Council of Europe and the OECD.
In Limerick, the voting public, too made a decision, not just once but twice, to vote for change.
- Firstly, in choosing in 2019 to the first location in Ireland to want to elect their own mayor.
- Secondly, in making a clear choice to give the job to someone free of party politics who could represent everyone – and by the second last count the two leading independent candidates had 70% of the valid votes with the remaining party candidate eliminated with only 30% of the votes.
It is now the time to figure out how to drive on with action to innovate through that change. How to take action under the new systems to find new ways to collaborate more effectively. How to action decisions today that will lead to a better future for everyone we serve by meeting the needs of today, while also preparing us for the challenges of tomorrow.
The Power of Political Legacy
I suspect everyone in the room here today has read a lot about how trust in democracy and politics is waning.
So every day these days, down in Limerick, we democratic politicians need to ask ourselves the questions, how can be best respect the change people voted for and deliver what they asked us to deliver?
I realise the heavy responsibility of my own leadership role acutely since the election. But have we also put new responsibilities on those chosen to chair our Strategic Policy Committees, who sit on the Corporate Policy Group, who manage different divisions of our council staff and most importantly the person chosen as Speaker or Priomh Comhairleoir of our Council?
What’s now also needed I believe is an unwavering commitment:
- to public service rather than self-service,
- to the interests of Limerick and its residents first, and
- to rewarding and acknowledging hard work and embracing delivery by all around us.
What will all of our respective legacies be as history looks back at our work during this formative period? Will we be seen as collaborators who put Place and Limerick before politics or the opposite?
I discussed this a lot with Andy Burnham, Paul Dennett and others last week.
In short, I know I would like my legacy to be leading new approaches to management, not being afraid to try out new approaches - to grapple successfully with stubborn legacy problems and to be known to be a Mayor of action.
As Mayor, I cannot be afraid to speak out. I cannot be afraid to lead and make tough decisions or try new approaches to confront vested interests or old practices and find new ways to resolve problems with which we have struggled for years like housing shortages or even decades like high levels of deprivation in our city and some key towns.
As Mayor, I believe we all need to step up nationally and locally in the way we all work together and show strong leadership in each of our respective roles to find new ways to collaborate and make decisions based on real evidence not just anecdotal commentary if we are to deliver better outcomes for the residents of Limerick.
Time is always ticking
I’m in my role, currently, for five years – unless re-elected, in which case I can serve for a maximum of ten years. But whether I have five years or it becomes ten, there is, of course, as any politician will understand, the additional urgency that comes with elected office of never knowing what the next election brings and not wasting the moment. So I make no apology for a certain sense of frustration with the pace of change or delivery.
As each new night falls, another day has passed and I need to gauge how much or how little has been achieved.
For me ultimately this is the best aspect of the improved democratic accountability – ever politician knows that if the job is not done before the next election, the people can make the ultimate choice.
Every voice should count
Another aspect I want to highlight is how the mayoral role unlike other politicians like councillors and TD’s are representative of a much broader range of voters and this presents different asks of a mayor.
My weeks are 80-hour weeks and weekends at least but they are filled with the most memorable moments.
I recently met a child at a local primary school in Limerick city, who was part of the student council there. I am usually prepared for the types of questions kids of a certain age may ask – “What does the Mayor do all day?” “Are the chains heavy?” “Is it real gold?” or “Can I pet Henri the first dog of Limerick?”
This child, however, didn’t ask me that. She asked me “Mayor, what do you think about democracy?”
This child felt that in her school, through whatever voting system they had to elect members on their student council or the way discussions were happening, that not every voice was heard.
My sense was that she felt her voice was not being heard by the prevailing majority in the school or by the adult teachers and that was crushing her faith in democracy.
Twice during my trip, I broached the important subject she had raised with her classmates and you cannot believe my surprise when some days later I received a letter from her parents to thank me for restoring that little girls faith in adults and democracy!
Hearing every voice better is something we must aspire to across local government – and something I would argue that we perhaps haven’t done as well as we could have in Ireland up to now.
It is actually why I believe at local level in Limerick the resounding choice was to choose a leader as Mayor who was not party politically aligned.
Is the Mayor being Political?
But representing all of Limerick or being independent is not the same as saying someone is or should be apolitical.
Mine was a political election. And a directly elected mayor is by their nature political. Of course, they should still be able to work with all parties and none and especially others happy to put place before politics. But it does still mean being allowed to have strong views which may be founded on a political philosophy, a philosophy which has resonated with and justified election by the majority of Limerick voters.
Indeed, while all candidates agreed that they wanted to do more for Limerick, how and what they wanted to do specifically showed some considerable differences.
Importantly, for that conversation, the people in choosing a mayor got to select between political visions for the broader Limerick not just gauge a candidates delivery in a much smaller geographical area as when they vote for a councillor.
And they are entitled to expect that chosen mayor to deliver on exactly that political vision and for that vision to influence the choices made by the mayor during their term.
Nine months since the election
As today is primarily about the merits or otherwise about what a directly elected mayor can offer a city, I wish to next reflect on the progress and challenges experienced specifically in Limerick since June 2024 and share with you some of my thoughts about what has been nearly a year since I took office.
Splitting Governance in Two
Let no one tell you that the establishment of this office was merely a change in title; it was a fundamental reimagining of how local democracy operates.
The traditional overlaps between the executive and legislative branches of government which you see in a parliamentary democracy system like ours in Ireland have been replaced with executive and legislative branches both operating from different electoral mandates.
The new mayoral role in Limerick is endowed with substantial executive powers, previously held by the chief executive. These include the authority to propose and implement strategic development plans, oversee housing strategies, manage road transport and safety, and develop environmental services.
In many ways, things have changed less for the Councillors. Representing the legislative arm, they still maintain all of the same reserved powers as before – particularly the power to approve specific policies, dispose of lands, vote on Part 8 planning decisions and approve the annual budget.
Delivering the electoral mandate
What has changed though is that the people have chosen a manifesto of what they want for Limerick and that might not align with a particular councillors viewpoints.
If the mayoral election and the people’s choice is to matter, I firmly believe that for a directly elected mayor to deliver, it is key they be supported to maintain strong proximity between the programme and their manifesto. Without this mandate, I believe the electorate would question what they had voted for. It is what I believe gives this programme the strongest mandate for delivery locally and to argue for resources.
My own North Star, as per the legislation underpinning this role, is the More for Limerick Mayoral Programme, running until 2029. This 138 page document, sets out a vision for a Limerick I believe we should and can have. It is based closely on what I promised to achieve in the election supplemented with new ideas coming from both councillors and the Council officials in the months after my election.
Another big change is happening at the level of the full time executive officials. It is the first time that the full-time executive of a local authority had to cope with a mandate change occurring as a result of a strong new electoral mandate. National government departments are very familiar with this process which occurs when the programme for government is finalised and delivery plans for departments modified. But this was and is a first for local government.
It has demanded a new approach to the drafting of the corporate plan and the service delivery plan. And indeed is requiring changes to our whole budgetary process and how we go about tracking action and delivery.
A particular challenge with delivery comes from the fact that the ambit of the programme is broader than the traditional role of local authorities. It does not for example align directly to the existing directorates you find in local government.
As a consequence, we’ve been innovating with new models of delivery around a new programme delivery office, building a whole new IT tracking system for outcomes and working out how to assign and resource tasks and monitor delivery right across the organisation and indeed right across the remaining years and months of my term.
New Relationships with National Government
But whatever we might do locally, delivering the Limerick described in the 138 pages of the programme will not be possible unless we get our fair share from the organs of national government, and from the national agencies who also have a responsibility to help us succeed.
One option which was not taken would have involved a large transfer of power and decision making to Limerick and the DEM. So with power largely remaining in Dublin something different had to happen.
What we see is that there are a number of new innovative structures to help on all of this. These are unique to Limerick and present an unprecedented opportunity for the needs of Limerick to be discussed and progressed at national government level.
- Limerick Mayoral and Consultative Forum
Indeed, only a few weeks ago, I was pleased to welcome the Taoiseach and other Ministers and their teams to Limerick for the first Limerick Mayoral and Government Consultative Forum in March.
This Forum, which is chaired by the Minister for Housing, involves all of the Ministers of government. There is really only one agenda – Limerick. I suppose the easiest way to think of it is that it is like having a cabinet sub-committee where the subject matter is Limerick.
That meeting and those that will follow over the next number of years allow us in Limerick City & County Council to give an overview of our priorities in Limerick and keep focus at cabinet on delivery for Limerick.
For the first meeting, I got to identify key projects which need to be unblocked at the highest levels of government, such as the new OPW building in the Opera Centre, water infrastructure in the county towns and housing in the Colbert Quarter project in the city centre.
Limerick had never had an opportunity like this before to present a holistic set of asks.
- New Official Level Clearing Group
These first meetings with national government have now resulted in another new innovation. This is effectively an official level clearing group for the Forum and in many ways is based on what I had experienced in the EU system in how matters are handled in advance of the ministerial meetings at say the Ecofin.
I had suggested it originally at a meeting with Simon Harris when he was Taoiseach and everyone agreed it could be a good idea. It was raised again as an ask at the first Forum meeting to allow issues to move forward between Forum meetings and it was agreed once more by all present that this would be a good idea. And it is now operating.
- Limerick Project Ireland 2040 Delivery Board
Now that we have a clearer idea of the needs and asks of Limerick and how that interacts with the Programme for Government, we are ready to more fully implement another innovation.
This board, which I chair, is designed to help Limerick coordinate the delivery of all of the infrastructure needed in the Mid-West. I chair the group and, recognising the broader impact of the Limerick city region, it involves the Director of the Southern Regional Assembly, the CEO of Clare County Council and the Director General of Limerick City and County Council. I am also in the process of expanding the membership to include other national agencies which are critical to the delivery of a new future for the Limerick city region.
- Unparalleled Access and Soft Power
The final point I want to make about the evolving nature of the new relationship between national government and Limerick is that Limerick now has unique access to central government and to the making of policy there.
A good example of that is taking place right this week as I believe Limerick is uniquely having the opportunity to raise its own specific needs under the NDP directly with each Minister of Government.
There is a formal consultation right under Section 35 of the legislation setting up the Mayor of Limerick but the main change is not statutory but the calling power of the office of Mayor of Limerick which gives a special unfettered access to the head of the executive in Limerick not really held by CEO’s of other local authority. And indeed, I expect this soft power to deepen and become more important as we move through the first term and relationships build. This is especially so because there is no other local authority mayor competing in this space.
Continuing the reform
I want to now focus on three areas where I feel the new office of mayor has already made a marked difference in Limerick and will continue to do so.
Enhanced Accountability
With a directly elected mayor, the residents of Limerick now know much better who their mayor is. Kids recognise me. People in the street stop me for a word of encouragement or advise. And even for the odd selfie.
For them, they now have a clearly accountable leader in local government who is directly answerable to them. That does not just mean answerable to councillors but directly to the public. That means in practice direct questions whether when walking the first dog around the streets of Limerick, going into shops, attending events or even getting the train to events like this!
That to me is really healthy and to be welcomed.
And you can see other real changes already. There is already a much enhanced interest in the local media of what is happening at the council chamber and what precisely the Mayor if doing.
That is not to be feared. I strongly believe in the concept of “meritocracy democracy” - a society governed by people chosen according to merit. And that means being available to answer questions as democracy and devolution kick into gear.
Many people fear democracy and letting people chose who their leader should be. I do not. In truth, I felt really proud watching the way that the voters of Limerick approached the election. Helped by strong local media in particular, they set about the task thrust on them to pick the person they considered to be the best candidate of 15 to be their mayor. The questions I and others faced at the doorsteps during the campaign, many based on what they had heard at the election debates or read in the papers were rigorous and showed just how seriously they took that task.
I would have little doubt that the public in any other local authority including here in Dublin would also take the same task as seriously, provided that real powers are devolved to their mayoral office and the local media play their role as well as the Limerick media did.
But accountability is not just for the mayor in local government. Ireland scores very well as we know internationally for our integrity in government.
If we want delivery on all our calls for increased powers and budgetary autonomy at local government, we must be increasingly vigilant to meet the best international standards on this front right across local government.
We must constantly check if the way we used to do things, still matches the new higher standards for governance standards globally. Trust in our political system may be at an all-time low and we need to do all we can to rebuild that.
I was faced with one such question right after being elected. In Limerick we have three Designated Activity Companies to manage matters like our ownership of Lough Gur and King John’s Castle or the development of the Opera Centre a mixed activity development cost 100’s of millions right in the centre of Limerick. These are companies with serious activities and public monies at stake.
Based on commentary during the election, I was under the impression that I was to become as mayor the shareholder to protect the interests of the state.
I was immediately confronted by key questions of what best governance looked like. I was worried as the prior approach which had been in practice in Limerick was at variance with the practices I had seen at national level.
When I raised questions, I was met with opposition. Firstly, I heard arguments that I was never intended to be the shareholder by the Oireachtas and so it should be the councillors who could chose to continue as before. In the end it required several months of discussion and back up legal opinions to settle that matter once and for all.
Since the clarity, we are now changing the auditors to fall in line with better rotation practices. The boards are being refreshed with an expression of interest which is ongoing in case anyone here would be interested in getting involved. I am working too on new shareholder expectation letters for each of the DACs. We have also restarted a second recruitment process for the CEO of one of the largest of those DACs and appointed an interim CEO.
Faced with conflicting points of view about key matters such as how to apply the national governance code for State Bodies to our locally owned bodies, I have commissioned an independent review of the appropriate governance and am awaiting the outcome of that review to see if other changes need to be introduced such as whether councillors should serve on the boards of those companies (and if so under what guiding principles) and whether we might be well served by a more robust shareholder management unit in LCCC like that I set up in the Department of Finance or reflecting the reasons why New Era was set up.
The stewardship and control of these companies is an ongoing challenge. The easy option would have been to just continue as before. But when local authorities embrace our role as stewards of public resources, we not only ensure the effective delivery of services but also strengthen the trust and confidence of the people we serve. Responsible management isn’t just a task - it’s a reflection of the values that underpin democracy itself.
Delivering value for money
At the heart of any thriving city, county and society is the need to ensure that public funds, which come from taxpayers, are spent wisely and efficiently. As a public servant and Ireland’s first directly elected mayor, I believe in taking a proactive approach that focuses on action, delivery and measurable outcomes.
Delivering value for money also means making strategic investments in areas that will yield the greatest long-term benefits for society.
The mayor is now responsible for proposing the annual budget, which, in 2025, amounted to some €1.68 billion of capital and current spending - a clear indication of the scale and responsibility vested in this office. That process is very much like that which happens at national level where officials in the Department of Finance propose options to the Minister for Finance who ultimately chooses which budget to present to the Oireachtas for approval. Like at national level that budget is approved by the full Council in Limerick. As part of this process, we developed a five year forward look at capital spending rather than the statutory three year look forward which prevailed up to now.
Furthermore, I as Mayor have been provided for 2025 with a supplementary €10 million annual discretionary fund. I recently published the choices I made with roughly three quarters of this being capital expenditure and the rest current expenditure. But let’s remember how much further we have to travel. That amount is less than 1% of the total council budget.
In allocating the 2025 discretionary budget, I had two guiding principles. On one side, I have tried to drive on priorities from the More for Limerick programme which are shovel ready for 2025. However, I have also tried to allocate funding to ideas which I consider to be transformative pilots. The idea is that these will help show why the solution Limerick needs may need to be a more innovative approach and may not be suited to a “One-Size-Fits-All” nationally applicable policy. The aim is that these pilot projects can potentially unlock tens of millions of euro in funding for Limerick throughout the remaining years of my current mayoral term and beyond.
But as we demand new powers and they are slowly devolved, comes a need too for more robust and open scrutiny. We are extremely fortunate to have our own very experienced Brid Quinn as Chair of our Audit Committee and I am working closely with her to enhance the role played by our Audit Committee in this respect and ensure greater and more thorough review of their work by the full Council.
Streamlined and better decision-making
The consolidation of executive functions under the mayor also needs to lead to more efficient and cohesive decision-making processes – not just in Limerick, but in other areas should this role be implemented there.
From infrastructure development to social services, every decision we make has a profound impact on the lives of our citizens. It is a citizen-based approach that is required to every decision we make. If our processes are more accountable, better value for money and more transparent, this approach will naturally follow on from that.
Therefore, it is imperative that we base our decisions on accurate data, sound research, and a deep understanding of the needs of our community.
I would argue that in too many corners of Ireland, currently, there are sections of local government that make decisions and move at a rate that is out of step with the needs of modern communities, both rural and urban. Reform isn’t about more bureaucracy; it’s about making decisions that are better, quicker and closer to the coalface of the people they impact every day.
Real devolution must come with the appreciation of power and responsibility – and, indeed, an expectation – to act and deliver.
Local authorities should be empowered to make decisions without waiting on central Government to approve each move they make. Indeed, this would allow central Government to function more effectively, too.
However, with that power is a need for better training, more transparent governance and a culture that has action and delivery at its forefront.
Stronger local government across the country can not only act as a catalyst for balanced regional development, but it can also benefit central government in Dublin – however, only if we’re willing to let it. Decision-making shouldn’t be a maze – if reform is done correctly, it can become a straight road to better outcomes.
What next for Ireland's other cities
I think it is obvious (and indeed should not really be a surprise) to say that the transformation we’ve seen in Limerick has not been without its ups and downs.
The integration of the new mayoral office into the existing governance structures continues to require careful negotiation and adaptation. Balancing the powers of the mayor with those of the elected council and the Director General has necessitated ongoing dialogue and adjustment.
As we look to the future, the question arises: Could other cities and especially Dublin benefit from a directly elected mayor? The answer, I believe, is a resounding yes.
Dublin, as Ireland's capital and economic powerhouse, faces complex challenges that require decisive and coordinated leadership. Issues such as housing shortages, traffic congestion, public safety, and urban regeneration demand a level of governance that is both agile and accountable. In fact, these overlap with many of the issues every city across the world is attempting to tackle every day.
Despite the potential advantages, the path to establishing a directly elected mayor in Dublin will not be a straightforward one. Concerns have been raised about the concentration of power and the potential for populist figures to exploit the position for personal gain. These are valid considerations that must be addressed through careful design and robust safeguards. However, democracy ultimately has to take its course and be at its forefront. I believe fundamentally that we can trust voters in Ireland and if, as we should, we make the job a real one with real powers, then really good candidates will emerge.
What is important is that Dublin should no longer remain the only capital city in the EU without a democractically elected leader of the local executive.
While the challenges are significant, the experience of Limerick offers valuable lessons for Dublin. The establishment of a directly elected mayor in Limerick was the result of a democratic process that involved the electorate in decision-making. This participatory approach ensured that the changes reflected the will of the people.
The developments in Limerick and the potential for similar reforms in Dublin reflect a broader international shift towards strengthening local democracy and Ireland should be no exception.
In conclusion, in our experience from the first 11 months in Limerick, the journey towards a more democratic, devolved, and impactful system of governance through a Directly Elected Mayor is both challenging and rewarding. The experiences of Limerick demonstrates that with courage, collaboration, and a commitment to the public good, meaningful change is achievable.
As we look forward to a brighter future for local governance in Ireland, let us be guided by the principles of democracy, the promise of devolution, and the pursuit of impact, action and delivery.
Let us strive to create systems that empower our communities, hold our leaders accountable, and deliver tangible benefits to all citizens.
Thank you.