Paul Bell new chair of council

PAUL Bell, who has become the first Labour leader of Louth county council since the late Peter Moore in 1979, has promised to work hard for the homeless, foreign direct investment, citizens facing exclusion and tourism.

He was elected chairman at the annual general meeting on Monday, after defeating Sinn Fein’s Tomas Sharkey by seventeen votes to 9.

Cllr Bell noted that his election comes in a very historic week, as details emerge of the visit to Co. Louth by United States vice-president Joe Biden.

He said it is a time to celebrate people who left our shores and achieved great things.

Warm tributes were paid to outgoing chairman Cllr Peter Savage, who took the opportunity to bemoan the erosion of powers of local authorities.

The existing voting pact between the other main parties and some independents held to keep Sinn Fein out of the chair, and Cllr Sharkey took up the point of Cllr Savage in speaking about a democratic deficit which exists in local governance.

However, he added this democratic deficit also manifests itself with an arrangement where the largest political party in the chamber, representing nearly one-third of voters, is excluded.

He thanked independent councillor, Maeve Yore for voting for him, describing it as a start to breaking the pact, and treating everyone as equals.

Cllr Yore did not vote for the Sinn Fein nomination for the position of vice-chairman.

She sided with Fianna Fail councillor, Conor Keelan, who beat Cllr Tom Cunningham 18-8.

Councillors Edel Corrigan and Alan Cassidy of Sinn Fein, as well as Fine Gael’s Richie Culhane were absent for the voting.