‘Integrity and decency in Timmins’s DNA’
INTEGRITY and decency run though Cllr Edward Timmins’s DNA, members of Wicklow County Council were told at the AGM on Monday.
Cllr Timmins stepped down as cathaoirleach at the annual general meeting of the body and his fellow councillors were quick to pay tribute to him for his outstanding year as chair.
Cllr Timmins said he had been honoured to sit in the chair for the past year. ‘It’s been a really great year and I’d like to thank the 31 councillors for their courtesy.’
He thanked all the officials for their help and his vice chairman Cllr Pat Vance.
‘We all have different styles and I think that we all have respect for each other. I think that Wicklow is on the up and we have to be guided by the people who live here.
‘A couple of issues need to be prioritised including drawing down maximum national and EU funding, an increased level of decision making at local level and new proper planning rules which would take into account the differences within the county.’
CEO Frank Curran said Cllr Timmins had a ‘huge interest in all things Wicklow’ and had been a big help to him when he arrived.
‘Cllr Timmins was a big advocate for outdoor recreation facilities, for tourism and in major infrastructure. You also had a lot of interest in what was happening in the different towns in the county’, he said.
Cllr Tommy Cullen said Cllr Timmins has done ‘an excellent job’ adding it had been great to see a Baltinglass man in the role.
Cllr Irene Winters, speaking on behalf of the Fine Gael group, said Cllr Timmins had conducted himself in a quiet and determined manner and implemented major changes during his year as chair.
‘You were fair minded, level headed and paid a great attention to detail’, she said.
Cllr Nicola Lawless said she had found Cllr Timmins ‘very respectful and easy to deal with. You were always willing to listed and took on board all our views. It wasn’t an easy job. We’ve had some very thorny issues here.’
Cllr Vincent Blake, who had proposed Cllr Timmins for the role last year, said he had ‘lived up to your family tradition’.
Cllr Tom Fortune said Cllr Timmins had always been fair minded and a ‘very good chair. You allowed debate to take place. Your decency came across at all time and that’s a tremendous attribute to have.’
Cllr Gerry Walsh said Cllr Timmins always had the respect of the chamber because he had earned it through his fairness and decency.
Cllr Jim Ruttle said Cllr Timmins was the third member of his family to hold the role following on from his father Godfrey and brother Billy.
‘You lived up to the great family tradition of public service and you did a great job.’
Cllr Joe Behan thanked Cllr Timmins for his courtesy, his availability and his sense of fairness to all members.
He said Cllr Timmins reminded him of Godfrey Timmins who, like Cllr Timmins, had always put the county first. ‘You are definitely following in his footsteps’, said Cllr Behan.
Cllr Miriam Murphy thanked Cllr Timmins for his expertise and said he had been very inclusive. Cllr John Snell said it had been a quick year adding that the council had ‘dealt with a lot of big issues. You conducted yourself brilliantly and always afforded everyone the utmost respect.’
Cllr Brendan Thornhill thanked him for a great year adding ‘it’s very difficult to be everything to everyone. We’ve had a lot of controversy over the year but you dealt very fairly with people.’
Cllr Christopher Fox said that ‘decency ran through his [Cllr Timmins’s] DNA’.
Cllr John Ryan congratulated Cllr Timmins on ‘driving through some many projects’ during his year in the chair while Cllr Shay Cullen thanked him for listening so intently to the contributions of the members.
Cllr Timmins thanked everyone for their kind words and passed the chains of office over to Cllr Pat Vance who was elected unopposed.