Limerick’s mayor John Moran has told the Government that the level of resources for his office means there is “not sufficient support” for him to be able to carry out the “functions and electoral mandate” that come with the role.

The remarks were made in correspondence with Minister for Housing and Local Government James Browne.

Moran wrote that, despite some improvement since 2024, the situation “has placed unreasonable demands on the staff in the office and on the mayor, who is repeatedly forced to work under extreme pressure and for hours far exceeding reasonable expectations”.

Moran’s letter on July 21st blamed the resourcing of his office for its failure to participate in a consultation process for a report by the Local Democracy Taskforce on reforms to local government.

In recent days the Department of Housing defended its support for Moran’s office, saying it has “has always engaged and worked collaboratively” with Limerick City and County Council (LCCC) to support the new office.

It outlined various supports in place including a fund of up to €40 million for mayoral initiatives over Moran’s five-year term and €600,000 for the combined salary costs of the mayor and the staff in his office this year.

Moran, a former Department of Finance secretary general turned Independent politician, is Ireland’s only directly-elected mayor.

Correspondence released by LCCC under the Freedom of Information Act shows that Moran wrote to Browne on July 9th seeking consultation on the Local Democracy Taskforce report and implementation plan before it was brought to Cabinet.

Moran made the request under Section 35 of the legislation for his office relating to consultation on matters likely to impact on Limerick or LCCC.

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He raised concern over the potential impact in Limerick of matters known to be in the taskforce report including recommendations on municipal districts and area committees, and greater councillor input into local authorities’ budget.

Browne wrote back on July 21st – the day before the report was due to go to Cabinet – saying the formal consultation process for the report was conducted during the summer of 2025.

He detailed instances when Moran’s office was contacted about taking part, including after the formal deadline for the consultation had passed, and how no submission was received.

Browne said Moran’s office got “a full and reasonable opportunity” to participate in the taskforce’s consultation process while also noting the issues Moran raised in his letter.

Later on July 21st, Moran responded seeking a draft copy of the taskforce report; that an urgent meeting be convened under Section 35; and that the Government’s consideration of the report be deferred until that consultation happened.

Moran’s spokesman said no Section 35 meeting has since taken place on foot of this request.

The department said the Local Democracy Taskforce was “clear that its recommendations are intended to apply across all local authorities, while recognising the distinct governance arrangements in Limerick”.

In his July 21st letter Moran also said “long-standing resourcing issues” affecting his office had been repeatedly raised by him to LCCC’s director general Pat Daly and Browne’s own department, “for which no satisfactory resolution has yet been found despite constructive recommendations being made by the director general to your officials”.

Moran attached an appendix to the letter setting out the background to the situation including how an independent review of the operation of the mayor’s office during 2024 found it was “not adequately resourced”.

A Department of Housing statement defended its support for Moran’s office, saying it has “always engaged and worked collaboratively with [LCCC] to support the newly established office and arrangements in Limerick, as appropriate, and will continue to do so, with a clear focus on operational efficiencies”.

It said legislation provides for a full-time directly elected mayor with executive functions, a salary for the mayor that currently stands at €168,954 a year, and five staff to support the mayor’s office.

It noted the fund of up to €40 million over the five-year term for mayoral initiatives and annual funding for salary costs for the mayor and his office, amounting to €600,000 in 2026.

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On consultation with the mayor it mentioned that the Limerick Mayoral and Government Consultative Forum last met in May, with the next forum scheduled for early November.

A spokesman for Moran responded to the department’s statement saying Limerick needs almost 4,000 new homes a year, that fewer than 1,000 are currently being delivered, and the cost of meeting this housing need is around €1.6 billion a year.

“Set against that, the resourcing under discussion for the mayoral office is a budget line of the order of €400,000.”

It added: “That contrast is close to the heart of the case for change: a directly elected mayor with executive functions needs the delivery capacity to match the scale of what Limerick has to build.”

On the lack of a meeting as a result of Moran’s Section 35 request, the spokesman said: “The department has pointed to a consultative forum that last met in May, rather than direct engagement on the request itself.”