Elaine Byrne: Time to bin Dublin’s unwieldy mishmash of local government

As the various city authorities tie themselves in knots over bins, it highlights the need for a proper debate about the state of our capital, and for a directly elected mayor

Gardaí at St Stephen’s Green in Dublin last weekend: the national airwaves were dominated by discussions of whether to have more bins and toilets in the city centre. Picture: PA

To paraphrase Henry Kissinger, who do I call if I want to speak to Dublin? It depends on who you ask. No one is in charge of Dublin city because everyone is in charge – the lord mayor, Dublin City Council, the Office of Public Works (OPW) and various government departments.

Dr Tony Holohan did the capital a favour when he tweeted his shock at seeing crowds of people gathering on South Great George’s Street, ...