The government is shelving plans to introduce a directly elected mayor for Dublin over fears it could become a launchpad for contentious would-be politicians such as Conor McGregor.
McGregor is unlikely to achieve his much-discussed bid to get on the ticket for the presidency this year, but the coalition is reluctant to have a plebiscite on whether or not Dublin should have a directly elected mayor as this is seen as a more realistic avenue to political office for the mixed-martial arts fighter.
Unlike the presidency, a directly elected mayor would have significant powers and a substantial budget along with powers to raise local taxes.
“He would essentially have the powers of a minister. It would be a very significant role and the Dublin voter base would be the most amenable to him compared to any other part of the country,” a minister told The Sunday Times.
The election of John Moran, an independent candidate, as the first directly elected mayor of Limerick has heightened fears over holding a vote in Dublin, according to another minister.
“There has been discussion about someone like McGregor potentially doing well out of a Dublin mayoral election. There’s more of a risk there than with any other election because it would be such a powerful position, roughly 60 per cent of the Irish economy comes from Dublin,” the minister said
“It’s not just about McGregor, though. I think central government, whether it be elected people or unelected people, they’re always fearful of transferring power over to some other figurehead which the central government doesn’t control. That’s been an underlying problem with this project since the very beginning.
“None of the political parties won the Limerick election, it was an independent. That has given everybody pause for concern,” the minister added.
The Dublin Citizens’ Assembly report in 2022, chaired by Jim Gavin, former GAA football manager, recommended that powers across multiple sectors like housing, transport, infrastructure, healthcare, education, economic development and other areas be devolved to the mayor.
It also recommended that the mayor be able to change or introduce local taxes; retain funds from a portion of any taxes raised in Dublin; and raise funds from markets, investment bonds or loans.
Similar to Moran, the Limerick mayor who was elected last year, the Dublin mayor would have a five-year term of office and a maximum of two terms.
Gavin told The Sunday Times that he was disappointed progress had not been made since the final report of the assembly. “Having spent a year with the 79 assembly members, we came to understand why Dublin needs an elected leader of its own. Someone with the mandate, power and means to drive reform, coordinate strategy, implement policy and be accountable to all of its citizens,” he said.
Gavin urged the government to push forward with a plebiscite regardless of its concerns about who may be elected. “When the government established the Dublin Citizens’ Assembly it placed its trust in 80 people to represent the diverse views of Dubliners. In a democracy, we trust the people — in this case the citizens of Dublin — to choose the right person to lead. The government must now show that same trust and empower the people of Dublin to elect their own mayor,” he said.
The government’s commitment to the proposed mayoral office has weakened since 2020. The 2025 programme for government states that it will “consider further plebiscites in Dublin and other cities” whereas the 2020 programme made stronger commitments to allowing for any local authority that wanted a directly elected mayor to hold plebiscites.
It further committed itself to transferring powers to directly elected mayors from city and county managers where they are established.
According to a source close to the Electoral Commission, there is little political will within this government to commence necessary work for a plebiscite. “There’s no chance of that work happening this year,” they said.
“There’s no political will for it. It was a big thing for the Greens in the last government and the appetite for it has gone with this one.
“A three-year review will take place for the Limerick directly elected mayor. I can imagine them suggesting the commission wait for that before any moves would be made in relation to Dublin.”
However, James Geoghegen, a TD and former lord mayor of Dublin city, said he disagreed with the concerns he had heard within government over the prospect of a figure like McGregor assuming the role.
“I think concerns about who might win the election is not a good reason not to have a directly elected mayor. At some point in this city we’re going to face this question of, who is going to drive investment and development in Dublin and into the future? I think the only solution to ensuring that we have a city that stays liveable and has good public transport is that you have a directly elected mayor driving progress, much like every other European city in the world,” he said.
Wendy Via, chief executive of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism and an expert in the intersection of technology and the far-right, said politicians should not underestimate the impact a figure like McGregor could have on public opinion.
“I would consider Conor McGregor to be a fairly controversial public figure and while it’s unlikely that he will get nominated for the presidency, what we have learnt in the US is to never say never — we are living through our ‘never’ right now,” she said.
“Given his following, the support from the new US administration, he will have the ability to pull centric candidates and right-leaning candidates further to the right. You will start to see far-right policies become normalised.”
Via drew comparisons between Donald Trump and McGregor: “Both have bombastic personalities, both have been accused of sexual misconduct in civil cases, both deny that to be the case, but there’s a connection there.
“After the White House visit, McGregor can now be seen as an extension of Trump in Ireland and if that perception is maintained over the coming years, his ability to influence elections, public mood and decisions certainly can’t be ignored.”
