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Dublin City Council (Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath in Irish) refers to two different entities. The Assembly Under the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840, the previous bicameral assembly of a House of Aldermen and a House of Sheriffs and Commons was replaced by a unicameral assembly. The new name Dublin City Council was coined for the unicameral assembly. It was presided over by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, the first citizen of the city, an office which had existed since 1665. The first City Council was elected in October 1841, and Daniel O'Connell became the first Lord Mayor under the new system. The Corporation becomes the Council
Structures of City Government Irish cities do not possess one single chief executive. Instead power is split between the council and an appointed executive official known as the Manager. City Manager The Dublin City Manager is the key executive in the council. He presides over its staff of 6,200. The City Manager and the city's executive and administrative staff are based in the Civic Offices on Wood Quay. The Lord Mayor Main article: Lord Mayor of Dublin The Lord Mayor of Dublin performs two distinct functions. He or she is The scale of the actual power exercised by the Lord Mayor depends on the personality of the holder of the office. While longterm mayor Alfie Byrne was able by force of personality and reputation to influence and shape the development of the city, some other Lords Mayor have had little impact other than chairing the City Council. In 2002 legislation was passed by the Oireachtas whereby the Lord Mayoralty would become a directly elected office from 2004. However, further legislation in 2003 abandoned this provision and the mayor continues to be elected annually by the City Councillors. The Lord Mayor's official residence is the Mansion House. Dublin City Council
Current party strengths on the Council Following the Irish local elections, 2004 the Council was made up of the following: Following the election, Labour, Fine Gael, and the Greens, holding exactly half of the Council seats, formed a "Democratic Alliance" and agreed on a broad policy programme for the new Council term, dubbed the Democratic Charter for Dublin. A side-deal with the Progressive Democrat member allowed this grouping to elect Michael Conaghan of Labour as Lord Mayor in its first year, with Fine Gael's Catherine Byrne holding the post for 2005. However the suspension by Fine Gael of one of their Councillors led to a tied vote in 2006, with Independent councillor Vincent Jackson eventually being selected by lot, having been supported by Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the independents. Name usage Though the 2001 Act abolished the name Dublin Corporation the name is still widely used in preference to Dublin City Council, as is the title Alderman previously held by those who topped the poll individual wards and which was also supposedly to have disappeared under the Act. Mansion House The Lord Mayor's official residence is the Mansion House, which first became the residence of the Lord Mayor in 1715. Dublin City Hall Council meetings take place in the headquarters at Dublin City Hall. Formerly Royal Exchange, the City Hall is one of Dublin's finest buildings and located on Dame Street. It was built to the winning design of Thomas Cooley. In an architectural competition, James Gandon was the runner-up with a scheme that many people favoured. The building was taken over for city government use in the 1850s. Civic offices Much of the council's administrative staff are based in the Civic Offices on Wood Quay. These offices are built on top of what had been one of the best preserved Viking sites in the world. The Corporation's (as it was then) decision to bulldoze the historic site proved one of the most controversial in modern Irish history, with thousands of people, including medieval historian Fr. F.X. Martin and Senator Mary Robinson (later President of Ireland) marching to try to stop the destruction. The destruction of the site on Wood Quay and the building of a set of offices known as The Bunkers (because of their appearance) is generally seen as one of the most disastrous acts against Ireland's heritage since independence, with even Dublin Corporation admitting subsequently that it was ashamed of its action. Originally, there were to be four of these 'bunkers' built but only two were ever completed. Instead the river frontage is a less brutal office block designed by the firm Scott Tallon Walker. Completed in 1994, it boasts a leafy atrium and fine views from many of its offices. See also | |||||||||||
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