It is truly depressing that people who should know better, met tonight in City Hall, and in a time of unprecedented economic hardship in the city agreed to splurge €1m on the purely ceremonial role of Lord Mayor of Dublin.

There was no discussion at the Annual General Meeting of Dublin City Council of the letter homeowners in the city have received advising them of increases in their bin charges, no discussion of the residents from Priory hall and no discussion of the cut-backs to frontline services in the City. Instead Labour City Councillors voted to reward their Fine Geal partners with the office of Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor, a perk that will cost the city close to €1m this year. The splurging of close to €1million in public funds on a purely ceremonial role highlights how out of touch the Labour party is with the everyday circumstances of ordinary Dubliners.

As leader of the Fianna Fail group I objected to the election of a ceremonial Lord Mayor and called on the Labour Councillors to demand from their colleagues in Government a Directly Elected Mayor for the city.

Dublin City needs a directly elected Mayor with a democratic mandate and executive powers who can address and solve the real problems facing citizens in the city and champion real opportunities for the city.

The people of Dublin do not need “tea and sympathy”, we need real leadership.  Mary