Cullen indecisive over mayor issue - Gilmore

The Labour Party today accused the Government of going back on its promise to reform local government.

Labour's environment spokesman, Mr Eamon Gilmore, said: "The continuing confusion over directly elected mayors demonstrates that this Government has no policy on, and no commitment to reform".

Mr Gilmore's comments come in the wake of reports the Government is considering the repealing its own new law providing for the direct election of mayors.

The Minister for the Environment, Mr Martin Cullen, is said to be under intense pressure from backbenchers in his own party to abandon the direct elections scheduled for 2004.

Objections are based on a fear that protest or celebrity candidates could be elected to mayoralties around the State. Mr Cullen is also said to be under pressure to abandon proposals to bar Oireachtas members from sitting on local authorities.

The Minister has pledged to review these issues as he prepares new legislation on local government reform.

Mr Gilmore accused the Minister of not being able to make up his mind on whether to keep the directly elected mayors, and whether to reintroduce the proposed ban on the dual mandate.

"This chopping and changing of policy is creating huge uncertainty in local government and it is showing up the Minister as having no clear idea about what he and his Government want to do with Local Authorities," he said.

Mr Lacey said: "This provision is one of the very few elements of our 2001 Local Government Act that offered any prospect of real reform of our creaking local government system."