Sir, – Noel Dempsey tells us that Dublin needs "a powerful elected mayor" (Opinion & Analysis),, November 15th).
An example of what he is talking about is Boris Johnson, who was mayor of London.
The last thing Dublin or indeed this country needs is another Boris Johnson-type celebrity with, as Noel Dempsey says, “a greater mandate than the Taoiseach”.
Giving one person what Mr Dempsey calls “unparalleled democratic legitimacy”, but which would in fact be virtually unchallenged power, is dangerous.
The governments to which Noel Dempsey belonged had such unparalleled democratic legitimacy because they were re-elected continuously over a long period of time. Because they were not adequately challenged, however, they ended up bankrupting the country.
Democratic legitimacy would not be well served by electing a powerful mayor for Dublin. – Yours, etc,
A LEAVY,
Sutton, Dublin 13.