Limerick councillor calls for review of 'confusing' two-Mayor situation 

FINE Gael leader in the council in Limerick Cllr John Sheahan intends to look for a review of the positions of Mayor and Metropolitan Mayor.

“There is a certain amount of confusion out there,” he said when he was elected as chairman of the Newcastle West Municipal District for the second time this Wednesday.

As party leader and as chairman of the municipal district, he said, he would be advocating for a review at the next party leaders’ meeting.

The title of Metropolitan Mayor, he felt, should be changed to that of chairman, as is the case with the other municipal districts.

“It is causing confusion,” he said.

And, he suggested, filling the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Limerick City and County, might best be done,  one from the county’s ranks and one from the city.

Thanking his fellow councillors for electing him as district chair, he said the position “is something which isn’t fully bedded down”. It is hard to get recognition for it in the pecking order, he added.

But, Cllr Sheahan also wanted the message to go out that Newcastle West had not been disadvantaged by the amalgamation of city and county.

“Our job is to extract as much as we can from the general coffers to our own district,” he said. “Had we not gone for it, we would now be sitting on a very small budget in a very rural local authority.”

During his term of office, Cllr Sheahan said he would like to see an audit done of the Newcastle West Municipal District on how the elderly and those with disabilities are treated.

“We as a nation are now back on our feet and should put money aside without restrictions for people with disabilities and the elderly. We are living longer and it is going to be a problem,” he said.

He looked forward to seeing a number of projects completed, such as the Athletics Hub, the Abbeyfeale Traffic Management Plan and the completion of public realm plans for Glin, Dromcollogher and Athea.  

Every town and village needed a plan and a vision, he said, and he was very encouraged by the coming into being  new council department dealing with town and village renewal and with dereliction.

Outgoing chairman, Cllr Michael Collins, reviewing what was a “great year” said one of the highlights, was the launch for the five-year strategic plan for Newcastle West. The other highlight, he said, was the opportunity to honour individuals or groups who had made significant achievements through a civic reception.

“It brings the communities closer to what we do as councillors,” he said. 

One of the biggest developments, Cllr Collins continued, was the granting of planning permission for the new Athletics Hub.

“We are now working towards tender stage and this is progressing quite quickly,”  he said. 

Cllr Liam Galvin was elected as the new vice-chairman.