Sinn Féin Councillors in the chairs as Municipal Districts begin new term

Donegal's five Municipal Districts all held their annual general meetings with Sinn Féin Councillors having the chair in each for the next 12 months.

Councillors Noel Jordan, John Shéamais Ó Fearraigh, Gerry McMonagle, Gary Doherty and Jack Murray have been installed to the role of Cathaoirleach in the five MDs.

Donegal County Council uses the D'Hondt system, which means allocations to various positions are made pertaining to political strength.

Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin are the largest parties with ten seats each on the new Donegal County Council.

Sinn Féin Councillor Jordan was elected as Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District of Donegal.

“It is an honour to be Cathaoirleach of this MD, and it is an honour that I don’t take lightly,” he said.

“I feel the last two terms of this MD was very, very successful and we worked will as a team here together. We were one of the most successful MDs because we achieved a lot in the last two terms.
“If we work well together, I feel we can move on and achieve a lot more.”

Cllr Micheál Naughton (Fianna Fáil) is the new Leas Cathaoirleach.

New councillors Manus Boyle (Fine Gael) and Jimmy Brogan (Independent) were welcomed to the meeting.

Cllr Ó Fearraigh is the new Cathaoirleach of the Glenties Municipal District.

The Gweedore-based Sinn Féin councillor was installed to the role at Friday morning's AGM of the Glenties MD at the Dungloe Public Services Centre.

Cllr Ó Fearraigh is in his third term on Donegal County Council.

At the recent local elections, he claimed 970 first preferences. He was elected on the tenth and final count at the Highlands Hotel.

“It was a huge challenge,” the Machaire Chlochair resident told Donegal Live following his election.

“I am delighted to be elected for the next five years to represent the community. I want to deliver for the people going forward. I had the work done over the past five years and I was glad that it all came together.”

Independent Councillor Michael McClafferty will serve as Leas Cathaoirlach of the Glenties MD for the next 12 months with new councillors Brian Carr (Sinn Féin) and Denis McGee (100% Redress) taking their seats for the first time

Cllr McMonagle was returned as the Cathaoirleach of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District.

Cllr McMonagle said his focus will be on one of the MD's most pressing issues - housing and regeneration.

His first step as Mayor was to propose writing to the Minister for Housing demanding more urgency on the scheme to remediate social housing affected by defective concrete blocks.

Cllr McMonagle criticised the fact that Donegal County Council has been waiting 12 months for a new Social Housing Remediation Scheme to be implemented, while tenants live in terrible conditions and other houses lie uninhabitable.

“It’s probably the single biggest problem we would have as a local authority, to compound all of that is defective concrete blocks, and the many homes and families that are affected,” he said.

“As more and more people are availing of the scheme we need to be looking at every alternative open to us to provide accommodation for the people that need it.”

Fianna Fáil councillor Ciaran Brogan was appointed as the Leas Cathaoirleach.

The AGM welcomed new faces in the form of newly-elected councillors Declan Meehan (Independent) and Tomás Seán Devine from the 100% Redress Party.

Cllr Doherty was elected as cathaoirleach of the Lifford Stranorlar Municipal District.

Two new members joined the Lifford Stranorlar MD cast of six - poll-topping Independent Michael Scanlon and the council’s youngest member, Dakota Nic Mheanman of Sinn Féin.

Doherty spoke of the “great honour” of being selected to his new position while offering congratulations to the two new councillors to the municipal district.

“It is something that we have always prided ourselves upon on this MD, that we all worked together and worked towards the same goal and we all have the interest of the people we represent at heart,” he said.

Cllr Martin Harley (Fine Gael) was elected as the Leas Cathaoirleach.

Cllr Murray was elected Cathaoirleach of the Inishowen Municipal District.

He said the defective blocks crisis would have to be a priority for the MD and he also highlighted the development of Grianán of Aileach, the tourism project at Dunree and the development of a new leisure centre in Buncrana as important projects for the year ahead.

Cllr Terry Crossan (Sinn Féin) was elected as Leas Cathaoirleach.

The meeting was the first MD for newly-elected 100% Redress Party councillors Ali Farren and Joyce Beard as well as Fianna Fáil councillor Fionán Bradley.