A report in relation to a proposal to rename Herzog Park in south Dublin is set to be from the agenda of a council meeting.

The park, in Rathgar, was named after Belfast-born and Dublin-raised Chaim Herzog, a former president of Israel, in 1995.

Councillors were set to vote on a motion to rename the park on Monday.

However, on Sunday evening, Dublin City Council Chief Executive Richard Shakespeare said he was proposing to withdraw the report, on a point of legislative technicality, and he apologised for "administrative oversight".

It comes after the Irish government urged the council to reconsider the proposal.

Earlier on Sunday, Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin said the motion should be "withdrawn in its entirety and not proceeded with".

The proposal had been criticised by senior officials in both Israel and the US, with the office of current Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressing concern on Saturday.

'Divisive and wrong'

Speaking ahead of Shakespeare's statement, Martin, who is the leader of Fianna Fáil, said that the proposal would erase the distinctive and rich contribution to Irish life of the Jewish community over many decades, including participation in the Irish War of Independence and the emerging Irish State.

"The proposal is a denial of our history... and will without any doubt be seen as anti-Semitic," he said.

"It is overtly divisive and wrong.

"Our Irish Jewish community's contribution to our country's evolution in its many forms should always be cherished and generously acknowledged."

The taoiseach added that the "motion must be withdrawn and I will ask Dublin City Council to seriously reflect on the implications of this move".

In a statement on X on Saturday, the office of current Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who is Chaim Herzog's son, said it was following reports of the proposal "with concern" and that removing the name would be "shameful and disgraceful".

It said that the move would harm "the unique expression of the historical connection between the Irish and Jewish peoples".

"Beyond being an Israeli leader, Chaim Herzog was also a hero of the campaign to liberate Europe from the Nazis and a figure who dedicated his life to establishing the values of freedom, tolerance, the pursuit of peace, and the fight against antisemitism," the statement adds.

"His father, Rabbi Isaac HaLevi Herzog, served as the first chief rabbi of the Irish Free State and left a significant mark on the life of the Irish nation in those days.

"Naming the park after his son some three decades ago expressed appreciation for his legacy and the deep friendship between the Irish and Jewish peoples.

"Unfortunately, this relationship has deteriorated in recent years, yet we still hope for the recovery of these important ties."

'Administrative mis-steps'

An agreement by members of the council's Commemorations and Naming Committee last July recommended to the full council the removal of the Herzog name from the park, and the renaming of Diamond Park. There was one objection.

It also agreed for a consultation process to be undertaken to determine appropriate new names for the parks.

As reported by Irish broadcaster RTÉ, Mr Shakespeare said in a statement that the authority to change a placename is contained within Part 8 of the Local Government Act 2001.

He explained this involves the adoption by resolution of a proposal to substitute a new placename by elected members, the holding of a public consultation and a secret ballot of qualified electors, should the proposal be approved.

"While the provisions of the act were commenced in 2019, the regulations required to govern the process for a secret ballot are not yet in place. The report to the elected members does not take account of the correct statutory procedure and is missing information for a valid resolution to be adopted," Mr Shakespeare said.

He said he is "proposing to withdraw the report from the agenda", and recommend the matter be referred back to the committee "for consideration of the statutory procedure".

Mr Shakespeare added that "a detailed review of the administrative mis-steps will now be undertaken and a report furnished to the Lord Mayor and councillors".

Lord Mayor Ray McAdam said the chief executive of Dublin City Council Richard Shakespeare had indicated to him he intends to withdraw the report, stating that legislation pertaining to renaming of place names had not been "fully commenced".

The Group Leaders of Dublin City Council will meet at 13.00 local time on Monday to discuss the matter and the McAdam will address the issue during the evening's council meeting.

A "final decision" will be made during the meeting on whether Monday's vote will take place, the lord mayor said.

On Saturday, Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Simon Harris said he completely opposes plans to rename the park.

"It is wrong. We are an inclusive republic," he said on social media.

"This proposal is offensive to that principle. I urge all party leaders to join me in opposition to this."

Ireland's foreign affairs minister, Helen McEntee, also urged councillors to vote against the name change.

"The government has been openly critical of the policies and actions of the government of Israel in Gaza and the West Bank, and rightly so," she said in a statement.

"Renaming a Dublin park in this way - to remove the name of an Irish Jewish man - has nothing to do with this and has no place in our inclusive republic."

Irish Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said the park was named after Mr Herzog 30 years ago to "acknowledge his connection with Ireland and the important role played by Jewish people in Dublin's history".

"Renaming the park because of the slaughter in Gaza is unfair to him and unfairly suggests Irish Jews are responsible for the appalling actions of the current Israeli government," he added.

'Deeply concerning'

The Jewish Representative Council of Ireland (JRCI) had also described the move as "deeply concerning", Irish broadcaster RTÉ has reported.

Chair of the JRCI Maurice Cohen called on councillors to reject the motion, saying the "removal of the Herzog name from this park would be widely understood as an attempt to erase our Irish Jewish history".

A motion regarding the name of the park was first raised in December 2024 by Labour Party councillor Fiona Connelly, who sought a report on the process that was taken in naming it.

She said she had been informed that the park's naming did not follow the correct procedures.

People Before Profit councillor Conor Reddy also raised the issue in January and sought information about the protocols for renaming the park.

In 2014, a blue plaque marking Chaim Herzog's north Belfast birthplace was taken down out of concern for staff and residents living in adjoining premises.

Anti-Israeli graffiti was daubed on the building, objects thrown, and an attempt made to remove the plaque.

Chaim Herzog was born in Belfast in 1918 but his family eventually emigrated to the Middle East.

He held a number of positions in the newly-created state of Israel in 1948, including ambassador to the United Nations. He served as president from 1983 to 1993.

Last year, Israel's foreign minister announced that the country's embassy in Dublin would close over "the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government".

Former Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Simon Harris said the decision was "deeply regrettable". He also rejected that Ireland is anti-Israel.

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