Editing Limerick (section)

==Government and politics==
[[File:OConnell.JPG|thumb|left|[[O'Connell Street, Limerick]]]]

===Local government===
Limerick city is under the jurisdiction of [[Limerick City and County Council]], which is based at [[City Hall, Limerick]]. The council has responsibility for local services such as sanitation, planning and development, libraries, collection of motor taxation, local roads and social housing in the city. The council comprises elected [[councillors]] with an appointed full-time CEO as the city (and county) manager. Local elections are held every five years and the councillors annually elect a Cathaoirleach or chairperson to chair the council. The 21 councillors from the 3 [[local electoral area]]s in the City Metropolitan Area also elect a mayor to represent the city. The Mayoral position is largely ceremonial and has much reduced responsibility following the merger of the Limerick local authorities. As of mid-2021, the mayor was Councillor Daniel Butler.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web |title=Fine Gael's Daniel Butler unanimously elected as new Mayor of City and County of Limerick |url=https://www.limerickpost.ie/2021/06/30/fine-gaels-daniel-butler-unanimously-elected-as-new-mayor-of-city-and-county-of-limerick/ |work=limerickpost.ie |date=30 June 2021 |access-date=3 November 2021}}</ref> Former well-known mayors include TDs [[Donogh O'Malley]], [[Stephen Coughlan]], [[Michael Lipper]], [[Jim Kemmy]] and [[Jan O'Sullivan]].<ref>{{cite web |title=List of the Mayors and Sheriffs of Limerick City – 1197–present |url=http://www.askaboutireland.ie/asset?id=6610 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313092543/http://www.askaboutireland.ie/asset?id=6610 |archive-date=13 March 2007}}</ref>

Throughout most of the city's history, from 1197 when it gained its first charter, Limerick City had its own local government authority, Limerick Corporation later known as [[Limerick City Council]]. The council was one of the oldest in Ireland and was only exceeded in age by [[Dublin City Council]]. In October 2012 the Government of Ireland published ''Putting People First- Action Programme for Effective Local Government'' which set out government policy for reforms across all the main areas of local government in Ireland. Among the recommendations was the merging of Limerick City Council with [[Limerick County Council]]. The changes came into effect on 1 June 2014 following the implementation of the [[Local Government Reform Act 2014]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Local authorities |url=http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/local_and_regional_government/local_authorities.html |url-status=dead |work=citizensinformation.ie |access-date=31 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606045428/http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/local_and_regional_government/local_authorities.html |archive-date=6 June 2014}}</ref>

By the 1960s onwards the city had outgrown its boundary considerably; the city boundary was only altered slightly and never reflected the overall urban area of the city. A limited boundary extension on the city's north side in 2008 enlarged the city boundary by 1,020 hectares increasing the city's area by almost 50% and raising the population by an estimated 7,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.limerickcitydb.ie/CDBInfo/Strategy/documents/Strat%20for%20Eco%20Irish.pdf |title=Limerick City Development Board – Strategy for Economic and Social Development |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118205144/http://www.limerickcitydb.ie/CDBInfo/Strategy/documents/Strat%20for%20Eco%20Irish.pdf |archive-date=18 November 2007}}</ref> The previous boundary, encompassing 2,086 hectares, was delineated in 1950. Newer suburban districts such as [[Dooradoyle]], [[Castletroy]] – including the [[University of Limerick|University]], Gouldavoher, and [[Raheen, County Limerick|Raheen]] were continually administered to by Limerick County Council until the merger of the two authorities in June 2014. This local government structure in Limerick caused a number of inefficiencies, most notably in the area of planning. A number of suburbs such as Westbury and [[Parteen]] to the north of the city are governed by [[Clare County Council]].

Following the merger of the two authorities in 2014, a new Metropolitan District of Limerick City was set up that included the city urban area and also settlements close to the city such as [[Patrickswell]] and [[Castleconnell]]. The Metropolitan district returns 21 councillors to Limerick City and County Council which in total has 40 councillors returned from across Limerick City and County.<ref name="irishstatutebook.ie">{{cite web |title=Statutory Instruments S.I. No. 56 of 2014 City and County of Limerick Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2014 |url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/pdf/2014/en.si.2014.0056.pdf |access-date=1 June 2014 |archive-date=9 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140509060411/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/pdf/2014/en.si.2014.0056.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> The Limerick City Metropolitan District is divided into 3 local electoral areas: Limerick City East, Limerick City North and Limerick City South which elect eight, six and seven councillors respectively.<ref name="irishstatutebook.ie"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.limerickcity.ie/YourCouncil/ElectedMembers/Elections23rdMay2014/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625124440/http://www.limerickcity.ie/YourCouncil/ElectedMembers/Elections23rdMay2014/ |archive-date=25 June 2014 |title=Elections 23rd May 2014 |publisher=Limerick City Council |access-date=3 March 2022}}</ref>

Following the [[2024 Irish local elections|2024 local elections]], [[Fine Gael]] is the largest party on the authority with 13 seats followed by [[Fianna Fáil]] with 10, [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour]] and [[Sinn Féin]] with 3 each, and [[Independent Ireland]]  and the [[Social Democrats (Ireland)|Social Democrats]] with 2 each, and [[Aontú]] and the [[Green Party (Ireland)|Green Party]] with 1 seat each, and [[Independent politician (Ireland)|independents]] and other parties the remaining 5 seats.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/limerick-city-and-county-council-first-muslim-councillor-elected-1.3890457 |title=Limerick City and County Council: First Muslim councillor elected |publisher=The Irish Times |date=25 May 2019 |access-date=22 September 2019 |archive-date=28 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028045032/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/limerick-city-and-county-council-first-muslim-councillor-elected-1.3890457 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===National politics===
For elections to the [[Dáil]], Limerick City is in the [[Limerick City (Dáil constituency)|Limerick City]] constituency. From 2011, the constituency boundaries changed in accordance with the proposals of the [[Constituency Commission]] and the subsequent [[Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009]]. This changed the electoral boundaries from [[Limerick East]] and [[Limerick West]] to [[Limerick City (Dáil constituency)|Limerick City]] and [[Limerick (Dáil constituency)|Limerick]]. Limerick city encompasses the city, the suburban areas of [[Castletroy]] and as far east as [[Murroe]]. It also includes part of North [[County Tipperary]]. The [[Limerick (Dáil constituency)|Limerick]] county constituency takes in most of the rest of the county. For [[European Parliament]] elections, Limerick is in the [[South (European Parliament constituency)|South]] constituency.