New cathaoirleach for Tipperary’s smallest district calls for councillors to ‘leave politics at the door’
A new cathaoirleach has been appointed to Tipperary’s smallest municipal district, and has called for councillors in the area to “leave their politics at the door”.
Sinn Féin’s David Dunne was elected as chair of the Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District at the district AGM this week, taking over from outgoing Cathaoirleach Mark Fitzgerald.
In his acceptance speech, Cllr Dunne vowed to work as hard as possible for the people and communities throughout the district.
"I intend to be the chairperson for all the district. I’ll do my best effort to work as hard as I can to make the district as good as it can be,” he said.
"Some of my priorities for the incoming year are to see the reopening of St Brigid’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Suir, the adjoining of the Waterford Greenway to the Clonmel/Carrick-on-Suir Blueway – this will be a gamechanger for the district. I intend to keep the pressure on to get this project started and finished as soon as possible,” Cllr Dunne outlined.
"Exciting times lie ahead as we move to phase two of the regeneration plan for Carrick-on-Suir, and work continues on other projects across the district,” he added.
Cllr Dunne was proposed by Cllr Kieran Bourke and seconded by Cllr Amy Goldsboro.
Councillor Mark Fitzgerald was appointed as Leas-Cathaoirleach for the coming 12 months, having been proposed by Cllr Kieran Bourke and seconded by Cllr Michael Brennan.
"We have a great team here, and we need to keep it that way, we need to work together for the betterment of our community, leave our politics at the door … I always maintain that up at the big meetings we can put on the gloves and we can have our spats up there but when it’s the district, the five of us unite to get whatever we can for the people of our district,” Cllr Dunne said.
"We’ve worked really really well together over the years, and I don’t see why that should change now, it’s unique that there’s no pacts, each member, the five of us, will get a year in the chair so therefore it’s vital that we work together,” the new cathaoirleach concluded.