Limerick Local Elections

damowill

Elections coming up in May, wondering what does Limerick City & County need and what do people need that local authorities can effect? Which candidates are running that will be progressive and be a good addition to the Council?

*note* i am not a candidate and dont know any candidates personally

dashoonage

I need candidates to stop sticking flyers in my ****ing gate.

damowill

dashoonage wrote: »

I need candidates to stop sticking flyers in my ****ing gate.

flyers are a waste of time imo, The Leader are doing a meet the candidates section though which is more informative.

https://www.limerickleader.ie/section/960/elections-2019

Cookiemunster

It doesn't matter who the candidates are. The councillors have no power. The unelected manager is the one with all the executive power.

The plebicide for a directly elected mayor, with executive powers who is answerable to the public is IMO more important than who's sitting on the council.

Poxyshamrock

damowill wrote: »

Elections coming up in May, wondering what does Limerick City & County need and what do people need that local authorities can effect? Which candidates are running that will be progressive and be a good addition to the Council?

*note* i am not a candidate and dont know any candidates personally

Not in my area but I hope to see Brian Leddin and Elisa O’Donovan get seats. They haven’t just appeared from the woodwork for this and I believe their intentions are good.

keane2097

Does anyone know if such a thing exists where you can type your address into a search or something and see which local election constituency you are in?

All I have been able to find is some slightly ambiguous maps.

OfTheMarsWongs

keane2097 wrote: »

Does anyone know if such a thing exists where you can type your address into a search or something and see which local election constituency you are in?

All I have been able to find is some slightly ambiguous maps.

This PDF map is accurate afaik. The red lines denote ward boundaries while the different colours denote areas for polling stations.

https://www.limerick.ie/council/services/your-council/voting-and-elections/maps

Map: https://www.limerick.ie/sites/default/files/media/documents/2019-04/Map-Metropolitan-Area-09-04-2019.pdf

damowill

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Not in my area but I hope to see Brian Leddin and Elisa O’Donovan get seats. They haven’t just appeared from the woodwork for this and I believe their intentions are good.

From what I know of Elisa and Brian, they are very progressive minded with a vision for Limerick. They both care about the city and know where the cities flaws are, and both have ideas on how to fix & implement them. Anne Cronin, Sean Hartigan, Breandán MacGabhann and James Collins have different ideas but i'd like to see get in, as each would bring a fresh approach.

keane2097

OfTheMarsWongs wrote: »

This PDF map is accurate afaik. The red lines denote ward boundaries while the different colours denote areas for polling stations.

https://www.limerick.ie/council/services/your-council/voting-and-elections/maps

Map: https://www.limerick.ie/sites/default/files/media/documents/2019-04/Map-Metropolitan-Area-09-04-2019.pdf

It looks like I'm in the City North area but it's quite difficult to track where the boundary lines go, particularly over by Thomond Bridge. I suppose it's possible they could slap more colours and **** onto a single image but they'd be doing well.

damowill

keane2097 wrote: »

It looks like I'm in the City North area but it's quite difficult to track where the boundary lines go, particularly over by Thomond Bridge. I suppose it's possible they could slap more colours and **** onto a single image but they'd be doing well.

If you are anywhere near Thomond bridge then you are in Limerick North.

Limerick Norths boundaries would be Shannon bridge, Sarsfield bridge, Mathew bridge, Clare st, Dublin road and rhebogue road.

ejmaztec

I don't live in any of the areas, but am interested in seeing what the result will be in Limerick City West, given that FG picked the twenty year old Daniel McSweeney instead of Fergus Kilcoyne, the latter being slightly miffed, and then deciding to stand as an Independent.

touts

damowill wrote: »

Elections coming up in May, wondering what does Limerick City & County need and what do people need that local authorities can effect? Which candidates are running that will be progressive and be a good addition to the Council?

*note* i am not a candidate and dont know any candidates personally

I'll tell you what Limerick doesn't need. A full time "directly elected" mayor pulling in 100k a year and another 50k a year in expenses with 20 or 30 of his/her mates on "staff" earning 60k+ a year and all doing nothing because the important decisions will still be made in Dublin for Dublin.

damowill

Cookiemunster wrote: »

The unelected manager is the one with all the executive power.

The plebicide for a directly elected mayor, with executive powers who is answerable to the public is IMO more important than who's sitting on the council.

Will the role of CEO/manager be defunct if the referendum is passed, and then be replaced by the directly elected mayor? There is a lot of talk about the mayors salary but i'm sure the CEP gets paid well at the moment anyway. So will the two jobs coexist if it passes?

s7ryf3925pivug

My greatest concern at a local level is pollution from people burning rubbish and backyard burning.

The candidates from the Social Democrats look good. Haven't noticed anyone else of any interest.

Phileas Frog

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Not in my area but I hope to see Brian Leddin and Elisa O’Donovan get seats. They haven’t just appeared from the woodwork for this and I believe their intentions are good.

Both are regular posters in this very forum.

stuckintipp

I was driving along the Groody road from BMW garage to UL last night and saw posters from Green, Solidarity and Social Dem candidates, I’ll be reporting them to the council and asking for them to be removed.

Cookiemunster

stuckintipp wrote: »

I was driving along the Groody road from BMW garage to UL last night and saw posters from Green, Solidarity and Social Dem candidates, I’ll be reporting them to the council and asking for them to be removed.

No point. They're allowed from today.

phog

stuckintipp wrote: »

I was driving along the Groody road from BMW garage to UL last night and saw posters from Green, Solidarity and Social Dem candidates, I’ll be reporting them to the council and asking for them to be removed.

Same with Condell Road, Salesian's Roundabout and I think on O'Callaghan Strand.

kingtut

Cookiemunster wrote: »

No point. They're allowed from today.

They were put up hours before midnight. Love to know how it can be reported.
Such an eyesore and a huge distraction while driving :mad:

Cookiemunster

kingtut wrote: »

They were put up hours before midnight. Love to know how it can be reported.
Such an eyesore and a huge distraction while driving :mad:

Maybe so, but they now don't have to be taken down until a week after the election. They council will not do anything unless they are still up after 31st May.

kingtut

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Maybe so, but they now don't have to be taken down until a week after the election. They council will not do anything unless they are still up after 31st May.

No surprises there. I'm going to struggle to vote for anyone that has no issue flouting the law

Phileas Frog

I have decided not to vote for anyone who has a poster tied to a lamp post

kingtut

Phileas Frog wrote: »

I have decided not to vote for anyone who has a poster tied to a lamp post

That probably includes all the candidates ....

Phileas Frog

kingtut wrote: »

That probably includes all the candidates ....

So be it!

Johnny_BravoIII

Where are people at with regard to the directly elected mayor concept? IMO it's a good proposition. Adding an experienced professional with an outside view could only be a good thing. The salary looks a little on the low side to attract CEO level type of person.

source

Johnny_BravoIII wrote: »

Where are people at with regard to the directly elected mayor concept? IMO it's a good proposition. Adding an experienced professional with an outside view could only be a good thing. The salary looks a little on the low side to attract CEO level type of person.

I'm all for it, it moves the functions of the city ceo/manager who is an unelected civil servant and places them in the hands of a person who has to seek the public's mandate every 5 years.

keane2097

source wrote: »

I'm all for it, it moves the functions of the city ceo/manager who is an unelected civil servant and places them in the hands of a person who has to seek the public's mandate every 5 years.

Yep agree with this totally. Haven't seen anything to make me think any different.

kilburn

What happens the CEO role then?

Will a directly elected Mayor not just look after his own area during his/her term rather than the city as a whole?

chicorytip

Johnny_BravoIII wrote:

Where are people at with regard to the directly elected mayor concept? IMO it's a good proposition. Adding an experienced professional with an outside view could only be a good thing. The salary looks a little on the low side to attract CEO level type of person.

What sort of experienced professional? A non party political person? What would be the exact job description of this directly elected mayor? Would this mean the abolition of local councils?
Think about all of that for a moment and you should quickly realise what a ridiculous proposition it is. The current system of local government is grand - it's just that some elected council members are clowns who should never been elected in the first place and there exists a lack of imagination amongst some of the executive in City Hall.

source

chicorytip wrote: »

What sort of experienced professional? A non party political person? What would be the exact job description of this directly elected mayor? Would this mean the abolition of local councils?
Think about all of that for a moment and you should quickly realise what a ridiculous proposition it is. The current system of local government is grand - it's just that some elected council members are clowns who should never been elected in the first place and there exists a lack of imagination amongst some of the executive in City Hall.

Have you actually read the proposal? Because I have and it clearly states that nobody is looking to abolish councils or any such ridiculous nonsense.

chicorytip

source wrote:

Have you actually read the proposal? Because I have and it clearly states that nobody is looking to abolish councils or any such ridiculous nonsense.

If you have a publicly elected executive Mayor then what is the point in having an elected council, as presently exists, in addition? What would be it's function? Would the current city manager be made redundant seeing that his function would now be superseded by the holder of this new position? These seem obvious and logical questions to ask.

LimerickCity

Cookiemunster wrote: »

It doesn't matter who the candidates are. The councillors have no power. The unelected manager is the one with all the executive power.

The plebicide for a directly elected mayor, with executive powers who is answerable to the public is IMO more important than who's sitting on the council.

They have a huge say on how much additional local property tax we pay. Every year the LPT automatically returns to the base rate with councillors able to alter the LPT by between 15 per cent of the baseline rate.

Councillors voted 18 to 17 in favour of Fianna Fail’s proposal for a 7.5 per cent increase, which means homeowners in Limerick will see no change in their LPT for 2019. This move resulted in the fall of Fine Gael’s proposal to charge the baseline plus 10 per cent.

Thanks to a Fianna Fail (12 members)/Fine Gael (12 members) majority council we pay an addition 10% in in 2017, 7.5% in 2018 and an additional 7.5% this year. These are up there with the highest rates in the country.

Both parties take up 24 of the 40 local council seats.

Stevie Wonder could see their parties performance in Government since 2011 and even more so since the confidence and supply agreement.

Record homeless figures, housing an absolute shambles, waiting lists, the state of our local hospital UHL, HPV vaccines and smear test scandal, the treatment of Maurice McCable, water charges, cronyism, the farce that is jobbridge, zero hour contracts, USC, a Taoiseach who spent millions on a personal communication and image team.

All being supported in government by a party who drove our economy off a cliff and run by a Taoiseach who as a former minister for finance did not have a bank account.

These local councillors run under the names of both massively failed parties and the sooner the local electorate wake up to the fact the better.

We have a partly qualified journalist running the failed health service, we have a guy with a BA in English & Philosophy running the failed housing ministry.

Anyone who lives in close proximity to the city will have seen the coast guard helicopter and marine search and rescue on countless occasions over the last number of years searching for people in the river.

Let this sink in. We have a doctor running the country as current Taoiseach, who in his final act as health minister cut 12 million from the 35 million allocated to mental health budget saying that it could be better used elsewhere.

kilburn

Anyone campaigning on parking, littering and upkeep of the city ?

Johnny_BravoIII

LimerickCity wrote: »

They have a huge say on how much additional local property tax we pay. Every year the LPT automatically returns to the base rate with councillors able to alter the LPT by between 15 per cent of the baseline rate.

Councillors voted 18 to 17 in favour of Fianna Fail’s proposal for a 7.5 per cent increase, which means homeowners in Limerick will see no change in their LPT for 2019. This move resulted in the fall of Fine Gael’s proposal to charge the baseline plus 10 per cent.

Thanks to a Fianna Fail (12 members)/Fine Gael (12 members) majority council we pay an addition 10% in in 2017, 7.5% in 2018 and an additional 7.5% this year. These are up there with the highest rates in the country.

Both parties take up 24 of the 40 local council seats.

Stevie Wonder could see their parties performance in Government since 2011 and even more so since the confidence and supply agreement.

Record homeless figures, housing an absolute shambles, waiting lists, the state of our local hospital UHL, HPV vaccines and smear test scandal, the treatment of Maurice McCable, water charges, cronyism, the farce that is jobbridge, zero hour contracts, USC, a Taoiseach who spent millions on a personal communication and image team.

All being supported in government by a party who drove our economy off a cliff and run by a Taoiseach who as a former minister for finance did not have a bank account.

These local councillors run under the names of both massively failed parties and the sooner the local electorate wake up to the fact the better.

We have a partly qualified journalist running the failed health service, we have a guy with a BA in English & Philosophy running the failed housing ministry.

Anyone who lives in close proximity to the city will have seen the coast guard helicopter and marine search and rescue on countless occasions over the last number of years searching for people in the river.

Let this sink in. We have a doctor running the country as current Taoiseach, who in his final act as health minister cut 12 million from the 35 million allocated to mental health budget saying that it could be better used elsewhere.

Are 'our leaders' are equally responsible for the good stuff?
https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2019/0314/1036362-cso-gdp-figures/

James Bond Junior

I have made my mind up fairly well re votes. One thing I will be bringing up with any candidate calling to my door will be how anti social behaviour is allowed to continue to be such an issue in our city be it lads on scramblers, the flagrant disregard for parking laws on
William st, mistreatment of horses and so on. A small minority, ethnic or not, are ruining our city and our LOCAL politicians need to hear that the silent majority are sick of it.

bigpink

Steamboat quay music owner is running

LimerickCity

Johnny_BravoIII wrote: »

Are 'our leaders' are equally responsible for the good stuff?
https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2019/0314/1036362-cso-gdp-figures/

Keep The Recovery Going was their election slogan back in 2016. The election where they lost 16 seats.

Problem is that they are way out of touch. For many there is no recovery. Little hope of ever being able to afford a home. God help us if we get sick or lose our jobs.

Record levels of homelessness, a crippled health and housing service. Scandal after scandal after scandal. If some are happy to vote FG/FF based solely on the economy then fair dues to them. Just keep in mind that you enable them to do what they do and nothing will ever change.

badboyblast

Anyone running that will help the sport for underage kids in Limerick or with public playing fields, basketball courts etc, etc and help for the elderly with hospital beds etc , people working and getting tax relief on creche fees etc, extended opening hours for live venues where alcohol sales is not dictating the dance licence ( I could on for hours !!!)

I don`t want some one who is getting in based on their second name being passed down to them so they can stand beside pot holes and get a photo op every hands turn and employ all their relations as secretaries.

Everyone is focused on people cheating the dole as being a burn on government money but in comparison to the gangsters we have voted in dole cheats are a tiny percentage to this, we need real people to stand up and be counted and address real issues for young adults who want a lot more from their community representatives than a pot hole fixed or speed ramp put in, its 2019.

Who can address these issues locally in Limerick, where is the help to develop the local underage sport, we have the highest suicide in the country and getting people out and involved in team sport and activities is a very positive step towards mental well being and yet not one candidate I have yet to see is focused on developing youth activities in local Limerick.

Cookiemunster

LimerickCity wrote: »

Keep The Recovery Going was their election slogan back in 2016. The election where they lost 16 seats.

Problem is that they are way out of touch. For many there is no recovery. Little hope of ever being able to afford a home. God help us if we get sick or lose our jobs.

Record levels of homelessness, a crippled health and housing service. Scandal after scandal after scandal. If some are happy to vote FG/FF based solely on the economy then fair dues to them. Just keep in mind that you enable them to do what they do and nothing will ever change.

FF/FG will continue to be the two largest parties in the state because despite the things you list, the majority of people in the country aren't affected and are doing quite well out of the current setup.

Jimbob1977

At the moment, the Council approves budgets and holds Reserved Powers (approving bye-laws, changing the Local Property Tax rate, etc).

The Chief Executive develops the strategies to achieve Limerick's objectives. He has Executive Powers to deliver day-to-day operations, but he cannot stray into the Councillors' Reserved Powers or act contrary to Departmental legislation.

The new Directly Elected Mayor would effectively take the strategic function from the Chief Executive and become like Saddiq Khan or Michael Bloomberg or Rudi Giuliani.

Pro: we could get a superb candidate for Mayor. Could be a business leader or progressive Councillor or economist. The eligibility is not limited to Councillors.

Con: the Mayor could be an absolute dud.

chicorytip

Jimbob1977 wrote:

Pro: we could get a superb candidate for Mayor. Could be a business leader or progressive Councillor or economist. The eligibility is not limited to Councillors.

In order to get the job a candidate would have to contest an election against others. No business leader, economist or any other category of individual - with the exception of political types - with ability, would be willing to participate in this process. People like Guiliani have been professional politicians for decades. In an Irish context what might work is a government established commission tasked with finding suitable candidates who would become administrators or "tsars", one for each of the twenty six counties with the exception of Dublin which would have two and who would be answerable to the Minister for Environment.
A direct election would never work. On balance, however, I think the current system suits best.

LimerickCity

Cookiemunster wrote: »

FF/FG will continue to be the two largest parties in the state because despite the things you list, the majority of people in the country aren't affected and are doing quite well out of the current setup.

In the last election they have held less than 50% of seats in the dail. This has never happened before. The majority of people in the country have slowly started to realize what these parties are about.

Cookiemunster

LimerickCity wrote: »

In the last election they have held less than 50% of seats in the dail. This has never happened before. The majority of people in the country have slowly started to realize what these parties are about.

After the last election FG had 50 seats and FF had 44. That's 94 seats which is 60% of the 158 seats in the Dail.

Even after the 2011 election FG didn't have a majority. They had 76 out of 166 which was 8 short of a majority. There's a reason we always have coalitions.

Oh and FF increased their seats from 19 to 44 between 2011 and 2016

Do try to get your facts right.

keane2097

I guess the stat that was in mind there was that the last election was the first time FF/FG got less than 50% of the total vote between them.

Cookiemunster

keane2097 wrote: »

I guess the stat that was in mind there was that the last election was the first time FF/FG got less than 50% of the total vote between them.

And if we used FPTP that may have been a relevant stat. But we don't, we use PR–STV, so the percentage of first preference votes is irrelevant. Neither party is going to be wiped out and they will in fact again be the largest two parties in the state after the local elections and after the next general election.

keane2097

Cookiemunster wrote: »

And if we used FPTP that may have been a relevant stat. But we don't, we use PR–STV, so the percentage of first preference votes is irrelevant. Neither party is going to be wiped out and they will in fact again be the largest two parties in the state after the local elections and after the next general election.

I'd be fairly surprised if either party thought it irrelevant that their share of first preference votes has been steadily declining over the past couple of decades, but ho hey.

zulutango

There's a 30 year downward trend for the combined vote of FF and FG. It was well over 90% in the 80's and it's down near 50% now. The surge of Sinn Féin since the GFA and Independents since 1997 accounts for much of it.

stefanovich

Where can I find a list of candidates? I've seen posters up for people who I have never heard of before and I cannot find information on them.

johnnyryan89

Wasn't there a website the last time that had a list of questions you could answer and depending on your answers they showed you which candidate best matched your answers or was that for the national elections.

I'd say one of the local papers will have something about all the candidates in one of the papers closer to the election.

bigpink

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Not in my area but I hope to see Brian Leddin and Elisa O’Donovan get seats. They haven’t just appeared from the woodwork for this and I believe their intentions are good.

Never heard of them?

LimerickCity

Cookiemunster wrote: »

After the last election FG had 50 seats and FF had 44. That's 94 seats which is 60% of the 158 seats in the Dail.

Even after the 2011 election FG didn't have a majority. They had 76 out of 166 which was 8 short of a majority. There's a reason we always have coalitions.

Oh and FF increased their seats from 19 to 44 between 2011 and 2016

Do try to get your facts right.

My apologies re the seat numbers. Between the two parties they had less than 50% of the vote. This has never happened before.