Taylor elected chair of council
COUNCILLOR PAUL TAYLOR, a former Sligo county Gaelic footballer who also managed the county team, has said that he will continue to wear the county colours in his new role as cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council.
Speaking after his election at the council’s annual meeting on Monday, the Fianna Fail councillor said he had “worn the county colours proudly for many years and now as your cathaoirleach I will continue to wear the county colours of Sligo” and he told his fellow councillors and council executive “we will work together as a team to ensure Sligo grows and develops – Sligo abú yahoo!”.
The Gurteen native said that while it was a special day for his family, it was also “a day of reflection as the last 15 months have been unprecedented, our communities have been closed, businesses closed, the introduction of remote learning for children and young adults”.
“We have lost many within our communities and their families are grieving. Many of our citizens lost their jobs and are still very unsure of their future,” he said.
He referred to the deaths of former councillors Patsy Barry, Paul Conmy and Pádraig Branley. He paid tribute to the council staff and community volunteers for their “tireless and valiant efforts over the last number of months to ensure our must vulnerable in our communities were taken care of in our darkest hours”.
Cllr Taylor also paid tribute to frontline workers, the medical profession, those in essential retail, every single person who worked and continue to do so during this pandemic “for your heroism and for leaving your families to protect ours”. He said that “we must stand together and try to rebuild all we have lost over the past 18 months”.
“I believe we can rebuild, and we have the potential to rebuild stronger than ever,” he said. The new cathaoirleach said that Covid-19 showed the importance of remote working and the importance of work-life balance.
“We have a huge opportunity here in the North West to capitalise on this and I know through enterprise hubs across our county from An Chroí in South Sligo, the Hub Ballintogher to the Enterprise Hub in Strandhill and I look forward to the development of further hubs across the county to support remote workers.
“With national recognition already given to Tubbercurry South Sligo Smart Community for their new Innovative community podcast facility, we have huge potential here in the North West and I, for one, will ensure to continue to work with communities to reach this potential.
“I know for many of our communities the biggest issue is broadband, therefore I will continue to work with my fellow councillors to put pressure on our representatives at government level to deliver on this long promised roll out of broadband in County Sligo.” He spoke of the importance of supporting local businesses and he said that to build on the council’s winter campaign to shop local, he looked forward to supporting a year long campaign to support businesses through the shop local campaign “Live Local, Shop Local to Keep Jobs Local #ShopSligo”.
Cllr Taylor also said that that “tourism is huge part of Sligo and at times I feel we have too many hidden gems here in our county”.
He said Sligo was “fast becoming the food destination of Ireland”.
“We must continue to build on this. We have already developed the Sligo Food Trail and coupled with our many outstanding walkways and adventure sports I would hope we can build on this over the next year.”
He also proposed that to “ensure we continue to establish our place on the world tourism map”, that the council along with Sligo Tourism would create ‘Sligo Day’.
“This will see Sligo promoted through the world and trend on Twitter. Furthermore, I am hoping to see developments in 2022 with the progression of the Sligo greenways,” he said.
Cllr Taylor said that as cathaoirleach he was looking forward to seeing significant projects completed, going to construction or being further progressed in his term of office. He referred to the N4-N15 Hughes Bridge project, the Collooney to Castlebaldwin N4 upgrade, the Stephen Street Plaza, the Surf Centre in Strandhill, the next phase of the O’Connell Street enhancement scheme, the planning and design for the Centre Block and City Campus schemes, the Eastern Garavogue Bridge and the N17 Collooney to Knock scheme.
He said these projects and others “will help deliver on Sligo’s designation as a regional growth centre” ensuring all of Sligo and surrounding areas “can be prosperous and sustainable, offering good jobs, education and quality of life balance to our children and grandchildren”.
He also looked forward to the designation of the third level institution in Sligo along with GMIT and Letterkenny IT as a technological university in 2022, describing it as “a game changer for our region”. However, he said that as a rural councillor he was “extremely concerned with regard to the immediate challenges facing our local communities and voluntary groups in recovering after Covid”.
“The last 15 months have been extremely difficult for them. In many cases the council benefits from the work that these groups do in their communities, such as tidy towns, playgrounds, burial grounds, heritage and others. I want to work with my fellow councillors and the executive over the next 12 months to see what we can do to get this sector back on its feet,” he said.
Cllr Taylor also referred to those whose homes are affected by pyrite and said he and his fellow councillors will continue to support the families and communities affected. “I will lead the council in calling for 100% redress scheme for those affected here in Sligo by pyrite and to ensure a speedy outcome for all.”
The new cathaoirleach said it was also his intention to organise an event to “shine the spotlight on men’s mental health”. “As we know mental health and wellbeing has been a struggle for many in Ireland over the last number of years. Covid-19 has certainly shone the spotlight on isolation and loneliness.”
Acknowledging the work of all mental health services in Sligo, including Sligo Leitrim Mental Health Services, NW Stop Suicide and GRASP Life Foundation, he said: “As a man I understand how difficult it is for us men to talk to each other and to seek supports. Not all men are willing to speak or seek help. I am appealing to all to reach out and seek support. “To support men reaching out my intention is to organise an event to shine the spotlight on men’s mental health and i call on the support of my fellow councillors to get involved and advocate for mental health.” In his speech, he acknowledged his parents Robert and Margaret, his wife Naomi, his children Robbie, Amelie, Freya and Charlie, sister Karen, brother Tony and their families and remembered his late brother Bobby, who drowned in Strandhill in 1998.