Fingal defends vote on mayor

FINGAL County Councillors have voted against a proposal to hold a plebiscite on a directly elected mayor for Dublin.
It had been proposed that a vote would be put to Dubliners on May 23 on the same day as the local and European elections.
The veto from Fingal councillors means that the plebiscite will not go ahead, despite the three other Dublin authorities voting in favour of the plan.
Four authorities were required to vote for the plebiscite in order for it to be held in May. Both South Dublin County Council and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council voted in favour of the plebiscite on Monday, while Dublin City councillors voted in favour of the proposal last week.
Some 16 councillors in Fingal voted against the proposal, while six voted for it and two abstained.
However, Fingal councillors voted in favour of a motion that would allow people to vote on a plebiscite at a later date.
This plebiscite would be held “after sufficient time and debate” has taken place, and around “clear proposals” for a directly elected mayor.
The Gazette spoke to several councillors who voted against the proposal or abstained in order to find out why they had done so.