New TDs urged to push Cork county’s needs in the Dáil 

Two former members of Cork County Council who were elected to the Dáil in the recent general election were urged to raise the needs of the local authority in Leinster House by County Mayor Joe Carroll at this week’s meeting of the authority.

John Paul O’Shea, the former FG leader in the council, and his party colleague Noel McCarthy were both elected TDs in the Cork North West and Cork East constituencies respectively, and were in the council chamber at Monday’s meeting.

Mr Carroll congratulated them on their election, along with three other former councillors who will be representing Cork constituencies in Dáil Éireann following the general election.

These are Seamus McGrath of Fianna Fáil (Cork South Central), Liam Quaide of the Social Democrats (Cork East), and Labour’s Eoghan Kenny (Cork North Central).

“Heartiest congratulations from the whole chamber — you’ve been sitting there long enough listening to our complaints — we want you to take them further, and I know you’re the type of people that will do that,” he said.

Several other councillors also extended their congratulations to the new TDs. Michael Looney of Fianna Fáil, who is a councillor in the Macroom electoral area, said the election of five councillors to the Dáil showed how the council had been ideal preparation for them.

“It’s testimony to the good school here inside in the chamber — when you advance from there, it’s a great thing."

Understanding

Mr Looney’s party colleague, Gillian Coughlan, said the “granular understanding” the former councillors had of the “issues we have here in Cork County can now be conveyed right up to the very top”.

“It is very important that we have that representation and that we’ve had that result,” she said.

Michael Hegarty, the East Cork Fine Gael councillor, said the new TDs were “very familiar with the issues and concerns” encountered by the councillors on a daily basis.

“I’ve no doubt they won’t be found wanting when the file will be given out at the table — and we wish them all the very best of luck."

West Cork Independent councillor Finbar Harrington said the first job they would be asking of their former colleagues would be to arrange a deputation to meet the new minister with responsibility to increase the council’s roads’ funding.

As the Seanad elections are upcoming, councillors will meet again on December 20 to co-opt five new councillors.