Standing Order Questions

Standing Order No. 18 of Dublin City Council's Standing Orders sets the rules for councillors' written questions to the Chief Executive. Questions should relate to matters of City Council administration for which the Chief Executive is responsible. They must aim to elicit information or clarify matters of fact or policy. They must be brief, contain no argument or personal imputation, and cover a single topic or geographical location. Questions must be sent to the Chief Executive electronically. The current Standing Orders were agreed on 9 June 2025.

In practice, the questions and the Chief Executive's written replies are published as appendices to the monthly meeting agenda on the council's meetings portal. Taking them "as agreed without discussion" is a routine procedural step. The written replies go on the public record without a floor debate, which saves time for other business. Councillors can still follow up through other channels, such as motions or area committees.

The questions cover everyday local services. Past batches have dealt with speeding signs and traffic calming, footpath trip hazards and housing transfer applications. They have also covered retrofit programme updates. The system lets residents see how the council responds on issues such as housing, roads, parks and public safety. Each month's questions and replies are available on the Dublin City Council meetings website (councilmeetings.dublincity.ie, also hosted on dublin.moderngov.co.uk).