Democracy must take its course, Mayor of Limerick John Moran tells Mayoral Governance in Dublin conference at DCU
Mayor of Limerick John Moran spoke about trust in politics and the importance of listening to the electorate at a Dublin City University conference exploring mayoral governance today, Tuesday 29 April.
Opening the conference, Mayor Moran spoke about rebuilding trust in politics from a local level:
Ireland scores very well generally on integrity, but if you want to deliver on increased powers and increased autonomy at local government, we must be increasingly vigilant and lead on the best international standards, right across local government. Trust in our political system is at an all time low across the world, and we need to do what we can to rebuild that.
Mayor Moran’s keynote address marked the opening session of the Martin McEvoy Conference 2025, hosted by Dublin City University’s School of Law and Government on the university’s All Hallows campus on Tuesday. The conference examined the implications of introducing a directly-elected mayor for Dublin, and the characteristics of an appropriate model of mayoral governance for the capital.
Representatives from local government, citizens’ groups and academics heard from a diverse group of speakers at the conference, with panelists speaking on funding and planning powers, housing and early childhood education and a political roundtable with representatives of Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour, Greens, Social Democrats and People Before Profit.
Delivering his keynote address, Mayor Moran spoke about the important of involving the electorate in decision-making:
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 popular figures to exploit the position for personal gain. These are valid considerations, and must be addressed through careful design and robust safeguards. However, democracy ultimately has to take its course. While the challenge is significant, the experience of Limerick offers valuable lessons to Dublin. The establishment of a directly elected mayor in Limerick was the result of a democratic process that involved the electoral in decision making - this participatory approach ensured that the changes reflected the will of the people.